FP1 & FP2 - Monaco GP report: McLaren Mercedes

JENSON BUTTON

“It’s fantastic to be back at Monaco – it’s such a crazy circuit, and always a lot of fun.

“In the dry, these turbo cars actually feel nice around here, although there’s not too much mechanical grip, which makes it more difficult. The Supersoft is a reasonable tyre, but it’s trickier in the wet – the Intermediates aren’t really working, even when the circuit’s almost dry. You’re wheel-spinning in fifth gear, which is an unusual feeling.

“Yesterday, I said that the new asphalt in the middle sector might lack grip, but I’m really pleased to be able to say that the organisers have done a fantastic job with the fresh surface. A lot of circuits could learn from the job they’ve done with the asphalt here: considering it’s brand new, it’s really good – there’s so much grip.

“I just hope we can get some some dry-weather running on Saturday morning – I think everyone needs a little more track time to complete their set-up work.”

KEVIN MAGNUSSEN

“We didn’t have any issues today – we just lack overall downforce. When our aerodynamicists get on top of that, hopefully we’ll be able to maintain that good balance and make some good progress.

“We haven’t done enough set-up work yet to be able to fully gauge our progress, but I felt comfortable driving the car. Of course, there are things to improve, but we’re taking it step by step.

“It was good fun driving the track today – the electronics mean you don’t really feel the impact of the turbo, so it’s not really like the old days, but I’m really looking forward to low fuel and new tyres for qualifying on Saturday!”

ERIC BOULLIER

“When both your drivers report that the car feels predictable and easy to drive around a tricky street circuit such as this, it gives you some encouragement for the rest of the weekend. After all, even the tiniest of mistakes can have very damaging consequences around here, so it’s reassuring to know that the car offers our drivers a stable and reliable platform upon which to develop.

“While we gathered some useful initial data during the morning, the rain between the two sessions meant that few teams opted to run when the track was at its wettest at the start of FP2. That was unfortunate for the fans – however, both Jenson and Kevin ventured out earlier than most, and were able to get some good exploratory laps on the Intermediate tyre under their belts.

“Running a shorter Friday programme than usual means that there’s still a lot of work to be done on Saturday morning – particularly as we weren’t able to do all the set-up work or gather the long-run data that we ideally need.

“Still, the possibility of an unpredictable race is a welcome one – and we’ll be doing our best to capitalise on any opportunity this weekend.”