McLaren surprisingly delivered some really good pace on the Sunday of the Japanese Grand Prix in the hands of Jenson Button. A very well timed switch from the full wet tyre to the intermediate tyre saw Button run in the top three for much of the shortened race. On the darkest day in Formula One for a long, long time, Button showed us why he is not finished in Formula One, whilst his team mate Kevin Magnussen struggled massively.
McLaren Japanese GP Review
No. 20 Kevin Magnussen
Grid: P7
Race: P14
Magnussen outqualified Button yet again, but dropped well back in the race. An unscheduled pit stop for a steering wheel change ruined any chances of scoring points, and a spin at turn 1 did not help at all. He did provide a bit of amusement however, when he cheekily unlapped himself by passing Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull impressively around the outside into that very corner. Magnussen has now scored just two points in the last five races, which will not do him any favours with Fernando Alonso seemingly knocking on the door.
No. 22 Jenson Button
Grid: P8
Race: P5
Button had a typical Button in changeable conditions performance. It was a pretty excellent drive considering the pace of the McLaren this season. Button was the first person to switch onto the intermediate tyre, and he did this not long after the safety car went in. This rocketed him up to third place once everybody else had pitted. He was actually chasing down the Mercedes until a dry line started to appear, and the McLaren was struggling to keep up at that point and Button found himself behind both Red Bulls. Despite this, he finished in fifth, his best result since the British Grand Prix.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @Craig_O_F1. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld– and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our motorsports writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at sports injury alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for? GO!
Main image:
