Singapore GP: Button labels Maldonado's driving 'very strange'

The McLaren driver suffered a broken front wing when he ran into the back of Maldonado's Lotus on the exit of Turn 17.

The incident was investigated by the stewards with no further action taken, and Button, who later retired with a gearbox problem, said Maldonado "won't ever change".

"The Lotuses were so slow," said Button. "I tried down the inside, but I don't know where Maldonado thought I was going to go.

"I don't think he brake tested me but he didn't accelerate.

"I drove into the back of him so you could say it was my fault, but he didn't accelerate out of the corner - very very strange.

"He was obviously trying to block the inside line - and the corner before that he just drove me off the circuit.

"If there had been a brick wall there I would have been in it.

"I don't know what he was trying to do - maybe put me in the grandstands. He gave me no room.

"You can't do that in F1, especially around a circuit like this - but it's not the last time he'll do it.

"Here, you've got to have two people that understand distances in battle, and the people I was racing with didn't seem to know that in terms of giving space.

"Very strange. He hasn't changed, and he won't ever change."

Button said a top 10 finish was on the cards for McLaren, but a pitstop problem, the clash with Maldonado and the gearbox issue ruined his chances, while team-mate Fernando Alonso also retired.

"The car was OK to drive - we could look after the tyres better than anyone else," he added.

"There's lots of 'ifs', but we would have scored points. It's tough, and it's not getting any easier.

"Everyone is feeling the pain, but it's not slowing us down in terms of how much effort everyone's putting in."