Button positive on championship lead

Source: www.autosport.com

By Jonathan Noble

Jenson Button said he was still taking away the positives of seeing his world championship advantage over his Red Bull Racing rivals increase at the European Grand Prix, despite a disappointing result.

The Brawn GP driver could manage no better than seventh after a difficult afternoon that saw team-mate Rubens Barrichello end a five-year victory drought.

But despite only taking two points, Button was able to increase his advantage over rivals Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel as neither Red Bull driver finished in the points.

Reflecting on the weekend, Button said: "Yeah, it is very unusual for your team-mate to take eight points out of you in one race. Rubens did a fantastic job this weekend.

"He has been very quick all weekend and I have struggled to be on his pace. But in qualifying I screwed up, which cost me time. I double shifted out of Turn 5, and hopefully we can rectify that problem as I did it in the race as well.

"Starting fifth I thought we could have a good race, but Vettel came across at the start and if I had stayed flat I would have ripped my front wing off. So, being back in the pack - although I know fifth is not back in the pack – but it is a bit crazy.

"In a way, I got two points and I was lucky to get those points. I was down in ninth at one point, behind Webber, and with Sebastian up in fifth.

"In the end neither of them got points and I got two points, so it is a positive day. But it is also a day where our car was strong and, as my team-mate proved, there were a lot more points on offer and it just didn't go my way. "

Button reckons that if he had not lifted when Vettel squeezed him on the run to Turn 1 then the pair would have collided.

"The most important thing for Vettel is to beat me, and he came across and I had to lift," he explained. "It is always a difficult one, because if I didn't lift then I would have probably broken my front wing and damaged my tyre probably, or his sidepod, but I had to lift.

"The problem is as soon as you lift there, everyone is just building speed and you are not, and there is a massive difference in speed. That is why I dropped so much ground there.

"I thought I had picked up a couple of places at Turn 2, but Alonso went wide and came back across on me, and I had to lift. Then Webber at Turn 4, I thought it was a bit harsh that I had to let Webber past because I went across the chicane as I couldn't get around the corner as he went all the way to the edge of the circuit sideways and I could not get around, so I had to go straight.

"It was a bit harsh, and that is what cost me quite a few points as I could not challenge the people who were stopping earlier in front of me."

Button thinks that race control should have consulted him about the chicane-cutting incident before telling him to relinquish position: "The thing is they didn't speak to me about it, and that is the thing.

"You have to get both views as well. It is down to the stewards, but you need both drivers' views and no-one asked me the question."