Button hopes Alonso makes him look slow

SPIELBERG, Austria - No Formula 1 driver wants to be beaten by his team mate yet McLaren's Jenson Button is prepared to make an exception for Fernando Alonso in Austria this weekend.

The 2009 F1 champion is hoping Alonso will make him look slow because that'll show the aerodynamic upgrade on the latter's car is working and will ultimately benefit both of them.

"In theory, yes." Button grinned when asked on Thursday (June 18 2015) whether he wanted Alonso to 'blow him away' on the track.

"Yes. Strange to say but… yes."

'KEEP FIGHTING'

Alonso, who hasn't scored a point since he switched from Ferrari at the end of 2014, can still expect to start at the back due to a strategic engine change and McLaren's performance deficit.

By sacrificing position in Austria, where he will be trying a shortened nose, new floor and revised wings, two-times champion Alonso should be in a better position for McLaren's July 2015 home race at Silverstone.

The sport's historically second most-successful team has been winless since 2012, has scored only four points from seven races, and is languishing in ninth overall in the first year of a partnership with Honda.

MORE THAN A TEST

Button said: "Every race we bring something and that's why there are not two of everything - when you're in our position you have to just keep fighting and bringing stuff. If we were at the front this package wouldn't be on a car because it's only on one side of the garage - it would always be fair and on both sides.

"We need to bring everything we can - it has to be this way and it's been like that all the way... we've shared it very well and it will continue like that for the next few races."

Button said he, too, could have a new engine and incurred a grid penalty, depending on what the team decided on Friday (June 19) but the race would be more than just a test.

"It's going to be a tough weekend whatever happens," he said. "I'd love to get a result this weekend but that is not going to be the case.

"I don't want to say it's a test weekend because I... want to come here and race. So we'll do what we can to compete."

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2015 Austrian GP this weekend.