Jenson Button admitted sixth place was more than he could have hoped for after an up-and-down weekend for McLaren at the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix in Sepang.
The Frome Flyer struggled for pace during qualifying and had to start Sunday's race a lowly tenth on the grid.
However, his McLaren performed much better on race day as Button followed up his podium place in Australia with a top-six finish, fending off the Williams duo of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas.
"It was hot out there this afternoon," said Button. "And when you've spent all that time watching the two Williams battling in your mirrors, it makes it feel even hotter.
"Still, it was an enjoyable race and I couldn't really have expected more. I think we got the most we could out of the package this afternoon and I didn't think I'd be finishing sixth after the way the car had performed earlier in the weekend.
"It's encouraging for all the guys that we called both the pit-stops and the fuel usage perfectly throughout the race. I also want to say a big thanks to everyone back at the MTC [McLaren Technology Centre] for working so hard to bring the updates to the track. Every little helps.
"Nonetheless, there is no getting away from the fact that we're still weak in the high-speed corners. This car does have its strengths but we've got a lot of work to do.
"We got the best out of the car today but we know we still need to improve."
Button was under pressure from Massa in the closing laps but was eventually helped by the Brazilian as he refused team orders to allow fellow Williams driver Bottas through to challenge for sixth place.
"I was just fighting to the end, I was very close to Button," said a defiant Massa.
"I didn't want to lose the opportunity to gain more positions. I will fight for my career in the way I want to."
