Jenson Button has admitted that he is using all of his F1 nous to help McLaren get out of their dire situation.
The British team scored just 27 points all season in 2015 as they badly struggled with a new Honda engine.
However, the 2009 world champion was in a similar situation with Honda in 2007 and 2008 and claims it has made him a better person.
"People come into Formula 1 at different points in their career and with teams that are competitive or uncompetitive. For me it was less competitive,” he said.
"When you first win a race, for me it means a lot more because you've worked so hard to get there, and you've gone through the pain and the struggle.
"It's very special when you win. I've never seen so many grown men cry as when I first won in 2006 [in Hungary with Honda] - the whole team.
"So going through struggles, it's tough. None of us like it, but it's necessary sometimes to come out the other side, learn from it, about who you really are as a driver, but also as a human being.
"It's made a huge difference in my career. It's made me a much stronger person."
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Jenson Button has admitted that he is using all of his F1 nous to help McLaren get out of their dire situation.
The British team scored just 27 points all season in 2015 as they badly struggled with a new Honda engine.
However, the 2009 world champion was in a similar situation with Honda in 2007 and 2008 and claims it has made him a better person.
"People come into Formula 1 at different points in their career and with teams that are competitive or uncompetitive. For me it was less competitive,” he said.
"When you first win a race, for me it means a lot more because you've worked so hard to get there, and you've gone through the pain and the struggle.
"It's very special when you win. I've never seen so many grown men cry as when I first won in 2006 [in Hungary with Honda] - the whole team.
"So going through struggles, it's tough. None of us like it, but it's necessary sometimes to come out the other side, learn from it, about who you really are as a driver, but also as a human being.
"It's made a huge difference in my career. It's made me a much stronger person."
Related topics