Button hopes to 'race well' at Suzuka

Jenson Button says he is aiming to 'race well' at Suzuka this weekend, despite admitting that McLaren still 'isn't quite there' with its car.

The 33-year-old picked up more points in Korea last weekend despite failing to make it into Q3, taking eighth place from eleventh on the grid.

With Suzuka having become something of a second home circuit for the Briton following his time with Honda, Button goes into the weekend confident of adding to his points tally, even if his car still isn't performing at its best.

"Suzuka requires a car with a rock-solid balance and good downforce in order to go well," he said. "We're not quite there with our car, but Korea showed that we can race well and, even despite misfortune, can score points. I think the whole team is keyed up for another positive weekend."

Button added that he was looking forward to the challenge of racing at a circuit that has fond memories from earlier in his career, with the Briton seeing Suzuka as something of a second home following his spell with Honda.

"My win there back in 2011 remains one of my most emotional victories, because it was the first Japanese Grand Prix after the terrible tsunami that devastated the north of Japan - it was such an important event for the whole country," he said. "The thing I really like about Suzuka is that it's such an unforgiving track. On most circuits, if you run wide or out-brake yourself, you invariably end up just running onto the Tarmac run-off, so you can easily get back onto the track without any penalty.

"At Suzuka, if you run wide through the Esses, or go off the track at the exit of the Degners, you're going to find yourself in the gravel. And I like that - I think it rewards those who don't make mistakes, and it makes for better racing, because you have to stay honest and focused."