Button "Too Tall" for McLaren

[Guest]

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[John S]

This at least explains why Jenson had difficulty getting on the pace in Valencia. I don't know how Macca can say that no preference is given to their drivers when obviously they have designed a car for Lewis' boy like frame. You think they would have sorted this in the time between Jens signing and the test. After all why sign him if your car is too F###ing small?

World champion Jenson Button  had a "frustrating" opening day at the wheel of his 2010 mount on Wednesday at Valencia- he's to big to be a jockey.

The Briton's first try of the new McLaren, because he is 7cm taller than his teammate Lewis Hamilton, was delayed due to difficulties with his seating position, and when he did hit the Ricardo Tormo circuit he was still sitting too high.

He then finished as just the tenth quickest driver of the three-day schedule, and markedly off teammate Hamilton's pace in the same MP4-25.

"This test was always to get used to the environment inside the cockpit, get used to the team and to run through all of the checks you do at the first test," said the 30-year-old.

He declined to say that McLaren's new car is a "great" one. "There is a lot more to get my head round here, to work on, before I would (say that)," said Button.

Button also played down Ferrari's dominance of the Valencia test. "Ferrari are fast but we don't know how fast. You never know what fuel they are running when they do those times," he said.

updatef1.com, Thurs Feb 4th

[Dare]

Gee you'd think that would be high on the
designers list,make sure A fit in B

A=driver
B=car

[Scott]

That's unbelievable.  Well, I hope Jenson still thinks he has made the right choice by mid-season...although I doubt it. 

[Williamsfan]

Not the first time this has happened in F1 history though, the Red Bulls have in the past been very tight fights and Webber complained he could barely fit in the cockpit! 

Still, not good for Jenson, already things are not going his way!

[Alianora La Canta]

Not the first time this has happened to McLaren either... ...just ask Nigel Mansell*, Gary Paffett and Alex Wurz...

* - Yes I know Mansell's measurement issue was width rather than height. It was however the sort of incident one does not forget in a hurry!

[raindancer]

Professional teams will  sort these things out of the public glare, so lets not pay too much attention to seat fitting issues of Jenson. There is something else here.

[cosworth151]

Tall drivers have had these problems for years. Back in the mid-60's, Ford had to put a teardrop blister above the driver seat of a few of it's GT40's to clear 6' 3" Dan Gurney's head!

[David]

Story blown out of proportion IMO. It won't take a team like McLaren (whom I am not a fan) too long to sort this mishap out. Their bigger problem might be stopping their driver moaning, as JB is known for doing when things don't go his way. 

He can play down Ferrari's speed all he likes when their kickin' has ass on track. 

[John S]

Story blown out of proportion IMO. It won't take a team like McLaren (whom I am not a fan) too long to sort this mishap out. Their bigger problem might be stopping their driver moaning, as JB is known for doing when things don't go his way. 

He can play down Ferrari's speed all he likes when their kickin' has ass on track. 

I'm not sure it was Jenson who fed this issue to the press so to say he is moaning is a bit of a leap. 

Even Ferrari are playing down their speed, surely there not embarrassed about running light,   so I'll wait and see who kicks the ass of whom at the races. 

 

[Williamsfan]

Yeah, you cannot judge anything on these tests really, everyone is doing different things (I am praying Williams are running heavily and the Cosworth is running as low as some rumours suggest). 

Good points Ali about other drivers, if I'm not mistaken didn't de lo Rosa get his last McLaren race because McLaren had to adjust the car for Wurz to drive a few years ago? 

[Alianora La Canta]

Correct; though in that case width was also a factor. It was too short and too narrow, meaning that not only did Alex have trouble getting in the thing, but he had to drive the car with one-and-a-half hands because there were times he couldn't put both hands on the steering wheel without hitting bodywork.

[Williamsfan]

Wow those cars are tight, it's not like Wurz was a chunky driver.  I remember Williams ran a competition to get driven round in a two seater, I was sadly too tall and too Mansell-esque at the time

[David]

Story blown out of proportion IMO. It won't take a team like McLaren (whom I am not a fan) too long to sort this mishap out. Their bigger problem might be stopping their driver moaning, as JB is known for doing when things don't go his way. 

He can play down Ferrari's speed all he likes when their kickin' has ass on track. 

I'm not sure it was Jenson who fed this issue to the press so to say he is moaning is a bit of a leap. 

Even Ferrari are playing down their speed, surely there not embarrassed about running light,   so I'll wait and see who kicks the ass of whom at the races. 

 

Indeed we will John see who kicks who's ass this year, that's what keeps us all watching and talking. Have to say I have high hopes for my team this year, praying my hopes are founded, and levels were at best reasonable. 

Have to say I don't agree with your defence of JB. Don't get me wrong, I really like the guy and was over the moon to see a British driver win the WDC, but he does enjoy a moan. Example:- The Honda years, he nearly turned it into a sport on its own. 

[Jericoke]

The FIA did set out rules for 'minimum driver dimensions', after it was clear that Mark Webber was at a disadvantage, despite being a relatively average height for a healthy man.

It's tough for a team though, if your drivers are different sizes, the car is going to suit one of them better... I can't see how such a complicated machine can split the difference, and still win races.

Obviously the McLaren is going to suit the driver who was under contract when they started to design it.  Hopefully they'll sort things out, but it's just something you can't do in a win tunnel or CAD.

[Scott]

Wow those cars are tight, it's not like Wurz was a chunky driver.  I remember Williams ran a competition to get driven round in a two seater, I was sadly too tall and too Mansell-esque at the time

I remember that too.  The problem was that his arms were too long as well, so his elbows bashed the inside of the car so he had to take one hand off when making sharp turns.