KERS will give McLaren an edge in 2011: Button

Jenson Button is convinced McLaren will have an advantage over Red Bull and Ferrari at the start of the 2011 season thanks to KERS.

The Kinetic Energy Recovery System was introduced in 2009 in attempt to aid overtaking, but it was not compulsory and only a handful of teams used it. That forced team bosses to have a rethink and they opted to outlaw the technology for the 2010 season.

However, the system will return next season but other technology like the McLaren pioneered F-duct will be banned.

Button, who didn't make use of KERS while he was driving for Brawn during the 2009 campaign, believes it will boost McLaren as they were one of the few teams that regularly used it last year.

"We don't have the F-duct next year, which is a bit sad because we have a great system," he said on the McLaren website.

"I've never driven with KERS before, but this team used KERS last year and used it well - I know because they kept coming by me at the start!

"They have so much experience in that area that I think we'll have an advantage - as will Mercedes and Force India, who use Mercedes engines.

"We'll have an advantage on Red Bull and Ferrari I think, which is great. We'll take every advantage we possibly can."

The 2009 World Champion also bemoaned the loss of adjustable front wings for the 2011 season, saying it will contribute to oversteering and understeering.

"We're only going to be able to adjust the rear wing for overtaking, when we're within a second of another car, so it's not going to help the balance," he added.

"It's unfortunate that we're losing the adjustable front wing, that's going to make the balance very difficult. We're running 150kg of fuel at the start of the race and 5kg at the end, so we're going to have very difference balance and it's going to be tough for us - you'll see a lot of cars oversteering and understeering, and not being able to change it."

With no major regulation changes coming into effect next year, Button feels there won't be too many changes to McLaren's car.

"The rest of the car is pretty much the same," he said. "If you don't have big regulation changes, a lot of what you develop through the year is used next season. For us that's good, we ended the year with a strong package. But there's always room for improvement.

"We really want to fight Red Bull and Ferrari next season and we need to push hard this winter - that's exactly what we're doing. I enjoy being involved with the development of the car - especially when you get the reward at the end of it. It's going to be a long winter but I'm very excited about next year."

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