World Champion Jenson Button has no doubts that McLaren will do better in the Australian Grand Prix than it did in Bahrain last weekend.
Button and teammate Lewis Hamilton struggled to match the form of Red Bull Racing and Ferrari at Sakhir, as their MP4-25 had difficulties coping with the slow-speed first section of the circuit and the bumpy Turn 6. Button went on to finish in a distant eighth position, while Hamilton fared better and finished in third.
Despite the performance gap that appeared in Bahrain, Button believes that the next race in Melbourne will deliver a very different picture – especially with the track demanding downforce characteristics that will be more suited to the McLaren.
"It is a circuit that will suit the downforce level of our car more," said Button during the launch of the new McLaren MP4-12C road car on Thursday. "The layout of Bahrain was changed very late and that didn't suit us too much. I am really looking forward to Melbourne. It is circuit that has treated me well in the past and one that I really enjoy."