Jenson Button admits dominant start to 2013 for one driver last thing McLaren need

Jenson Button has admitted it is imperative for underperforming McLaren that the start of the season produces as many different race winners as possible if they are to stay in realistic title contention while working through the problems with their MP4-28.

The beleaguered Woking team go into this weekend's second round in Malaysia with their backs firmly against the wall after picking up their worst result in a season-opening race for four years at Albert Park last weekend, when Button finished only ninth and new signing Sergio Perez out of the points.

The days following the season-opener have been accompanied by sustained media conjecture over how exactly McLaren will attempt to tackle their lack of pace, and while the team haven't completely ruled out the most drastic option of reintroducing last year's race-winning MP4-27, Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh has stressed they remain committed to the current car for now
Nonetheless, Button admitted last Sunday that it was likely to take the team "quite some time" to turn the MP4-28 into a more competitive proposition and asked by Sky Sports News at Sepang on Thursday if it was therefore vital for their season that, like last year, the opening grands prix don't see one driver and team run away with things, the 33-year-old replied: "One person can't dominate for us. I'm already 23 points behind the leader so we need different winners every race.

"But even so, if we're picking up one or two points [per race], it's still very difficult."