Jenson Button will head into Formula One’s winter break with a smile back on his face and the belief McLaren can make the most of the biggest rule change in the sport for many years.
Button’s fourth place in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix represented a minor victory at the end of the team’s worst season for 33 years.
But for that placing, McLaren would have suffered an all-time low since they were founded although it was still one that ended without a podium for the first time since 1980.
After starting 14th at Interlagos and to finish behind only Red Bull pair Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, Button was rightly proud.
He told Press Association Sport said: “It was a good race, a lot of fun and it was nice to actually enjoy a grand prix because there have been a lot this year I haven’t.
“I got the best result of the year so we’ve made some progress and, more importantly, it puts a smile on the face of everyone in this team who has been through a tough year.”
After making many errors with the design of this year’s car, McLaren has the perfect opportunity to go back to basics, given the clean slate every team has been presented with for next season.
The change in the regulations, as the V8 era bowed out to be replaced with 1.6-litre V6 turbo-charged powertrains, offers a chance for someone to end Red Bull’s dominance.
Button said: “It means a long winter of development. There is so much more to play with than we have ever had before, so it’s really exciting.”