McLaren and Jenson Button have once again been struck with a gearbox issue after the opening two practice sessions of the Indian Grand Prix weekend, which prevented the Briton from completing any productive running during the second practice session. Button could only manage several laps on a high fuel setting during FP2.
Despite being able to complete 24 laps in total during the second practice session, Jenson Button was frustratingly unable to complete any true race simulation laps, in comparison to the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso who devoted the second half of the afternoon session to testing out varying high fuel settings in preparation for the 60-lap Indian Grand Prix on Sunday.
“It hasn’t been a perfect day.” Admitted a disappointed Jenson Button, “Our lap-times in the first session were okay, but we couldn’t really get the Option [tyre] working in FP2 – perhaps that was down to a temperature issue. Then I had a gearshift problem during my long run in the afternoon. The team is currently looking into it – hopefully, we’ll have it sorted by tomorrow.”
McLaren’s reliability issues have become the team’s achilles-heel throughout the season, with four of the last five races featuring a mechanical issue on either Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton’s machine. Last weekend in Korea, Lewis Hamilton suffered a rear anti-roll bar issue which in turn saw the Briton struggle immensely to a distant 10th. It was a gearbox issue at the Singapore Grand Prix which prevented Lewis Hamilton from taking victory during the race, and is something which the outfit will be keen to conquer prior to tomorrow’s all-important qualifying hour.
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