Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Barcelona, Spain, Feb 19, 2011

BARCELONA DAY TWO: “A lot more performance still to come.”

Date - Saturday February 19 2011
Driver - Jenson Button
Location - Circuit de Catalunya
Track length - 4.655km
Weather - Warm and dry, but largely overcast all day. Maximum ambient temperature 15.8°C, maximum track temperature 28.9°C


Laps completed - 54
Kilometres covered - 251km
Best laptime - 1m24.923s

Programme

Jenson’s final day of running at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya was somewhat frustrating: a hydraulics failure after just a handful of laps of aero-mapping cost him the majority of the morning’s track-time. A similar failure towards the end of the day also brought an early end to proceedings.

He said: “We’re not doing as many laps as we’d like, so we’re a little behind some of the other teams, which is a bit of a disadvantage, but that’s something we’re addressing. Over the next two days, hopefully our reliability will be better, and we’ll be fully equipped with spare parts.

“Mileage not only helps reliability, but it’s also useful for set-up work. It’s difficult to balance the car with the front wing when you’re trying a variety of tyre compounds and fuel loads. And it’s taken a bit of a time, especially at a circuit like this, where getting the aero balance right is important.

“There’s a lot more performance still to come from this car – now we just need some proper mileage to see what it can do. Hopefully, Lewis will be able to achieve that over the next two days.”

Driver for day three - Lewis Hamilton
Duration of test - Four days (February 18-21)

* Official photo and report courtesy of VODAFONE MCLAREN MERCEDES *

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