Two weeks after the greatest victory of his career, Jenson Button still can’t wipe the smile off his face.

“I’ve got the biggest grin,” he says. “Montreal was the best win of my career and I’m determined to enjoy it. Mixed weather races are difficult to manage from the cockpit and Canada was a very long afternoon due to the rain delay. It was very satisfying to win after being last with 30 laps to go.”

Jenson went on holiday to the USA after the race, but he’s now back in Europe and his attentions have turned to this weekend’s European Grand Prix. He knows and likes the track, having finished on the podium at the race last year, and he hopes to be competitive.

“The track has some similarities to Montreal,” says Jenson. “There are lots of slow corners followed by long straights, so you need lots of mechanical grip to give you traction. That’s one of the strengths of our car, so I hope we can be quick.”

As was the case in Montreal, the DRS, or moveable rear wing, will have a big influence on performance. The extra straight-line speed afforded by the system will be one of the keys to a competitive weekend.

“A good engine and a good KERS Hybrid system are essential at Valencia,” says Jenson, “and we are very strong in those areas. But the DRS will be crucial as well, due to the number of long straights at the track.

“You can use DRS whenever you want in qualifying, so it’s going to influence the shape of the grid. You’ll also need it in the race because there are going to be two DRS zones, like in Montreal.

Unfortunately, rain stopped play in Canada, so we didn’t get to see the full effect of two DRS zones, but you won’t be at a disadvantage if you have a good DRS system.”

To continue the parallels with Montreal, Jenson thinks Valencia has a similar vibe to the Canadian city. “It’s a great place to go out in the evenings,” he says. “The Spaniards don’t eat until late, so I won’t have such a good time because I like to eat early. But for the fans and for the members of my family attending the race, I’m sure they’ll have a great time. There are some great bars and restaurants.”

The European Grand Prix is the second race to take place in Spain this year, following the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona in May. If you add the month of winter testing that took place in Spain as well, the country has been something of a second home for Jenson and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes this year.

“It feels like we spend a lot of time in Spain,” says Jenson. “I’d rather have two races in the UK, but that’s not possible then Spain’s a good choice for two races. The weather’s good and the fans are very passionate, largely thanks to Fernando [Alonso]. Valencia is a good setting too, with the harbour on one side and the city on the other.”

The Valencia Street Circuit has several features that separate it from other racetracks on the F1 calendar. It has more corners (25) than any other track and it’s the only circuit to feature a swing-bridge.

“The number of corners doesn’t make any difference to us,” says Jenson, “although they might make the debriefs at the end of each day a bit longer.

“Two things stand out about the swing bridge: it’s more slippery than the rest of the track, and it’s narrower. That makes it pretty exciting on the opening lap because you’ll be running side-by-side on the approach, then you have to get into single file. Sometimes you win in that situation, and sometimes you lose.”

Losing the race isn’t on Jenson’s mind. He’s in the form of his life and he’s hoping to add win number 11 to his CV.