2011 Formula One world championship runner-up Jenson Button is to be rewarded for his successes with the chance to test the new McLaren MP4-27 car at the opening pre-season test in Jerez before team mate Lewis Hamilton.
In 2011, Button became the first team mate of Lewis Hamilton to finish ahead of him in the championship, taking three wins on his way to second place in the standings.
And Button's reward will be to become the first driver to get a taste of the new McLaren on the first day of the opening test of the limited 2012 pre-season schedule.
The 2009 champion will test the new Mercedes-powered MP4-27 on February 7th and 8th at the Spanish track, before Hamilton drives the car on February 9th and 10th.
For the second test of the pre-season in Barcelona, the order will be reversed, with Hamilton taking the first two days and Button the second two at the late February test.
Then, at the final pre-season test at Barcelona at the start of March, the two drivers will alternate days, with Button starting the test on March 1st.
The limited amount of pre-season testing time in 2012, with the allocation of days reducing to 12 to allow for the reinstatement of an in-season test in May, means the McLaren race drivers will conduct all of the testing.
There is no space for either of the team's test drivers Gary Paffett or Oliver Turvey, though both did drive for the team at the recent Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi.
The new McLaren is set to be launched on February 1st, ahead of the first test in Jerez, and has already passed the requisite FIA crash tests.
Button's confirmation as the man to debut the new McLaren follow reports that Felipe Massa will debut the new 2012 Ferrari and Mark Webber will be the first driver to get a taste of the new Red Bull RB8.
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