Button hits back at 'bitter' Briatore

Briatore, who was angry at the FIA's decision to rule the double-decker diffusers as legal, suggested the Brawn GP team will dominate the championship thanks to an unfair advantage.

"The drivers in our teams have been and are world champions, while the championship is now fought between a driver who was almost retired and another one who is a good guy but a paracarro (Italian saying for being as slow as a milepost at the side of a road)," Briatore told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I don't know where credibility has ended up with all this. To make up the gap we have to those teams is impossible."

On Friday, Button responded to Briatore, and said the Italian should remember that he tried to hire him for his own team this year.

"Unless he is at the front of F1, I am sure [he thinks] any team [being there] hurts the credibility of F1," Button told reporters in Shanghai.

"He also needs to remember that he tried to employ me for this year, so..."

Button added: "He is obviously a very angry man after the diffuser issues and he is obviously very disappointed that they haven't produced a car that is as competitive as ours.

"We have produced a very competitive car because of the work force we have back at Brackley and you cannot take it away from them - it is very unfair to say that.

"They have worked very, very hard in very difficult circumstances and it is very, very unfair for Flavio to comment as he has just because he is a little bit bitter - he should also not forget he tried to employ me for this season."

When asked what was his team's response to Briatore's comments, Button said: "Laughing, basically."

Team-mate Rubens Barrichello said Briatore was a "bad loser".

"I think that is stupid. Really. What a comment. If we all think that we need Ferrari and McLaren to win, why are the others here?

"I really think that because we have a white car and some people are not able to go as fast as us....this is what is good about the sport. They are trying to make the same engine for everybody...so do you think Ferrari is always going to be on top?

"There are plenty of good people in the paddock and plenty of bad losers."