Jenson Button says he was surprised with the pace-setting time he delivered during the first day of pre-season testing at the Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain, the McLaren driver ending up almost a full second ahead of nearest rival Mark Webber.
After an early fuel pump issue hindered his programme, Button bounced back to clock a personal best lap of 1:18.861 on the Hard compound tyre and move 0.848 seconds clear of the field, but he also insists that 'it doesn't mean anything' at this stage.
"I don’t know how I did that time," 33-year-old Button admitted. "I was surprised when I saw the dash, but it doesn't mean anything. Some people run less fuel than others. Who knows? For a first day it felt good.
"Who knows whether it's a championship-winning car, but the important thing is that it has a nice feeling. Lap times mean nothing right now, not even at the last test. At the first race, that's when you need to show how quick you are. The car really does relate to the simulator, that’s something that is good."
Button will make way for team-mate Sergio Pérez at Jerez on Wednesday, before returning to cockpit of the MP4-28 on the third day of the opening pre-season test.
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| Pos. | Driver | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  J. Button | 01:18.861 | 37 |
| 2. | M. Webber | 01:19.709 | 73 |
| 3. | R. Grosjean | 01:19.796 | 54 |
| 4. | P. di Resta | 01:20.343 | 89 |
| 5. | D. Ricciardo | 01:20.401 | 70 |
| 6. | F. Massa | 01:20.536 | 64 |
| 7. | N. Hulkenberg | 01:20.699 | 79 |
| 8. | N. Rosberg | 01:20.846 | 14 |
| 9. | P. Maldonado | 01:20.864 | 84 |
| 10. | G. van der Garde | 01:21.915 | 64 |
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| Jenson Button | |||
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| More Jenson Button photos | |||
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