Jenson Button says he has "even more motivation and belief" going in to 2016 as a result of the effort put in on the McLaren MP4-31.
McLaren revealed its new car on Sunday morning, with the MP4-31 being described as "striking and innovative" by the team. Having struggled for reliability and performance throughout last season, McLaren comes in to this year off the back of a ninth-placed finish in the constructors' championship but Button says the work done over the winter has filled him with confidence.
“I really can’t wait to take the wheel of the new MP4-31 tomorrow," Button said. "All Formula 1 drivers need a winter break, but I’m massively excited to get started on the 2016 season now, and I have to say the brand-new McLaren-Honda MP4-31 really looks the part.
“Moreover, having spent quite a bit of time at the McLaren Technology Centre recently, I can tell you that there’s a huge amount of palpable positive energy there at the moment, despite the challenging yet steep learning curve we all travelled along in 2015.
“In fact, the immense amount of sheer hard work that has gone into the development of the MP4-31 over the winter makes me immensely proud, and consequently I go into the new season with even more motivation and belief."
And Button says the progress made by McLaren during 2015 should not be underestimated as it continued to develop last year's car throughout the season.
“Despite the ups and downs we saw last year, there were steady improvements all year long, and that gives us confidence in the design direction we’re taking. There are a lot of positives we can build on, and a strong platform to take forward.
"I’m not about to make any over-optimistic predictions – Formula 1 is far too unpredictable for me to do that – but, from what I’ve seen so far, the aero detailing on the car looks fantastic, and I’m really looking forward to beginning the process of testing those new innovations when I get behind the wheel tomorrow.”
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