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Question: Just talk about the battle that kept us so entertained in Australia.
Jenson Button: Looking back on it now, I would say it was a pretty fun battle to be involved with. Frustrating for me as I couldn’t find a way past. I think Felipe did a very good job of blocking and I couldn’t find a way past. So, it was frustrating but when you look at it now, it looks like a good race, I would say. But even with the DRS it is still very tricky to overtake at a place like Melbourne with such short straights. If you cover the inside line it is very difficult to overtake.
Question: Jenson, you are a former pole winner here and also a winner. You have spoken about this circuit and how it has improved with age. Perhaps you would like to expand on that.
Jenson Button: I always enjoy coming here. This is one of those circuits that really makes me smile when I land into Malaysia, as it is a very flowing circuit. I have had some pretty good races here in the past, not just the one that I won but also other races where I haven’t been on the podium but have had great races with people around here. It is one of those circuits where you can really have a good tussle as corners flow into each other. I think with the DRS system it is going to make overtaking a lot easier than it was in Melbourne. Maybe it will be a little too easy, as I think being within a second before the last corner, even without DRS, you can have a good chance of overtaking. I don’t know, we’ll see. But it is a fun place to race and the weather can really play a big part here, especially with the four o’clock start, it is pretty much on the dot when it starts raining, so it makes it tricky for every team in the pit-lane and every driver to really understand the conditions and to make the right call.
Question: You have said this is the toughest race physically. How do you prepare for that?
Jenson Button: It is very hot here. However much training you do, or what have you, you still can’t get away from the humidity here. It is tough. Looking at a few of the guys this morning, the journalists, they seem to be feeling it as well. I have done a bit of training over the last weekend. I was in Hawaii for the week which was nice, getting used to the humidity and pushing myself in the hot conditions which was good.
Question: Red Bull is going to user KERS for the first time really here. Are you terrified, are you simply afraid of it, are they going to kill the championship?
Jenson Button: We lose more than a little bit of time if we don’t use the KERS. I think we have a very good system - well, both of us have a very good system (looking at NR) - and I don’t know what Red Bull’s system is like. Everybody has a different system in Formula One, a different KERS hybrid system so maybe it gives them a lot of time, maybe it doesn’t, I don’t know. I don’t know what the benefits are for them. And then there’s always reliability, isn’t there, with a new system? I’m sure that’s one of the reasons why they didn’t use it in Melbourne and if they use it here, it’s obviously a very new system so there’s always reliability issues, so I’m sure they’re weighing up whether it’s worth it or not.
Question: Jenson, I want you to clarify again why you think it’s going to be a different race to what it was in Melbourne? Do you feel it’s because we’re entering so many more ‘knowns’ here in terms of now we’re at a proper race track and the tyres?
Jenson Button: How dare you say that about Melbourne!? It’s a lot hotter. It’s a very tough circuit for the cars, for the drivers but especially for the four things that are touching the road, the tyres. I think we are going to see a very different race, mostly because of the tyres in the hot temperatures. I think there will possibly be more degradation. I think we’re all surprised at how consistent the tyres were at the first race. I don’t think that was the initial idea with the Pirelli tyres, to be so consistent. We saw a one stop from [Sergio] Pérez, which was obviously the highlight of the race for a lot of people and how he was able to be so consistent, but I don’t think it’s going to be the same here. I think it will be very different, it’s a lot more demanding and a lot tougher on the tyres. It brings another element into it which is good, I think.
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