Jenson Button has hailed his ninth place on the grid for the Belgian Grand Prix as his best qualifying result of the season.
The 2009 world champion, whose future in Formula One beyond this campaign remains in doubt, also claimed that his display was an improvement on his brilliant pole lap here - the only time he has started from the front of the grid in his seven-season spell with McLaren - back in 2012.
Button, 36, could yet be replaced by McLaren's highly-rated reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne next year, with the British team expected to make a decision on their driver line-up for 2017 in September.
But the British driver's display in front of chairman Ron Dennis, who oversaw qualifying from the McLaren garage, will come as a stark reminder to the team's hierarchy that he still possesses the speed required to compete at the sharp end of the grid.
"I was really happy with my lap, and it was like getting pole position in 2012, actually probably better," Button said. "I am ecstatic with that position. It is all relative and you have got to know when you have done a good job.
"Ninth is very good at a track like this for us. It is a tough circuit, and I don't think we expected to be here, so I feel like I did a really good job. I would say it is definitely the best qualifying of the season."
Button's highest finish of the year came at the Austrian Grand Prix in July after he crossed the line in sixth. On that occasion, he started from third after taking advantage of the inclement weather in qualifying as well as a number of grid penalties ahead of him.
"We have got a Williams behind, and a Williams in front so we should be able to challenge them tomorrow," Button added.
"The team have done a great job this weekend - Honda have brought a new power unit - so it is definitely an improvement and we didn't expect to be this far up in qualifying. Hats off to the whole team."
In contrast, Button's team-mate Fernando Alonso will start on the back row of the grid.
The Spaniard was already due to serve a hefty penalty for an engine change, and his weekend took another miserable twist in qualifying after he stopped on track just moments after leaving the pit lane with yet another engine failure.
"The weekend has been difficult for me," said Alonso. "I am disappointed obviously, but there is a little bit of luck in place because Jenson has the same specification engine and has no problem at all.
"We need to learn from our mistakes and our problems for next year."
Source: PA
