Formula 1 returns this week in Miami after an impromptu spring break caused by the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix owing to the crisis in the Middle East. Former F1 driver Jenson Button has said that the break has been weirdly positive, in terms of allowing teams to tweak their cars ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. Button, who won the 2009 World Drivers’ Championship with Brawn GP, stated that the field will be closer with teams using the extra time to work on the cars.Speaking to the media on Friday, Button stated: “I think it gave them a bit of time to really evaluate where they are and how they can improve their package coming into Miami. When you’re on the road, it’s always very difficult to evaluate where you are and where you need to improve. It takes a bit more time.” He added: “I think we will see the field a bit closer this weekend, especially between the top teams. Mercedes still have a bit of an advantage but if they slip up, McLaren and Ferrari will be there waiting. And this is quite a fun weekend because we have the sprint race. The Ferraris are very good off the line, so if they get in the lead, they’re going to be difficult to overtake. I think for F1, the break has been strangely positive to the racing here in Miami.”Ahead of the Miami GP, the FIA have brought in some changes to the widely panned regulations in an effort to improve on-track action. Button believes that the regulation changes will make a positive impact. “It always takes a little bit of time to fine-tune new regulations. You need to see how it plays out first on track to understand what works and what doesn’t work. So I think the changes that we have here will see a more consistent car for the drivers and they’ll have a better understanding of what it’s doing.”Button also stated the importance of driver satisfaction with the changes, saying “I think they (drivers) will be much happier, which is what we all want. We want drivers to be out there having fun and enjoying themselves when they’re racing. It plays a big part because when they get out of the car and they’re unhappy, it doesn’t look great. So yes, I think fine-tuning was necessary and I think F1 are doing a great job in terms of listening to the teams and drivers. This weekend should be a good step towards that and then they (FIA) ought to evaluate after the race and hopefully take other steps.”
