F1 Brazilian Grand Prix: Button: This one is always special...

Despite McLaren-Honda's ongoing woes, Jenson Button has reason to look forward to F1's return to Interlagos.


Jenson Button is looking forward to F1's annual visit to the Autodromo Jose Carlos pace, hoping to more positive news for the McLaren team at a venue that means a lot to him personally. 

Button's season continued in disappointing fashion as F1 returned to Mexico for the first time since 1992, the Briton coming home 14th after a weekend he described as 'painful' following repeated engine problems that scuppered his practice and qualifying sessions. With team-mate Fernando Alonso completing a token lap 'for the fans', there was little to cheer for the Woking team, but Button remains optimistic as he returns to the scene of his greatest triumph – the 2009 world championship title. 

“Interlagos has got to be up there with the all-time great circuits in F1,” the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix winner insisted, “There's so much history there, so many legends have raced on that circuit, and the fans are always so enthusiastic that you can't help but love going back there each year. 

“For me personally, the track is very special. It's a tough circuit on the cars as it's so bumpy, but really fun to drive with its off-camber sections and technical mix of corners. 

“Although we found it tough in Mexico – especially with the altitude – our pace in the corners was positive, so I'm looking forward to seeing how our car performs in those areas in Brazil.” 

The 35-year old, who has already been confirmed as a McLaren-Honda driver for next season, will contest his 283rd grand prix this weekend, but wants little more, initially at least, than the chance to get some meaningful practice laps under his belt. 

“Unlike the last couple of races, I hope we can get some solid dry running done so that we can really focus on set-up and reliability, and get as much time on track as possible from Friday onwards – then we'll see what we can do from there,” he explained, “However, the weather is usually unpredictable, which has made for some chaotic races in the past. It's great for the fans and always produces some really interesting results, so hopefully we can put ourselves in a position to take advantage if anything happens.”