Bizarre shunt surprises Eddie and Jenson

Button had spun into the gravel at Brooklands and was preparing to get out of the car when Irvine replicated his pirouette and crashed into the stationary Williams.

Irvine will have to use the T-car in tomorrow's race as a result, while Button was late out in qualifying as the Williams team worked to replace two corners on his car.

'I didn't see Eddie at first because he was behind me. Then I turned around and saw this gravel coming towards me but I didn't think he hit me that hard,' said Button.

'It wrecked the tub,' said an incredulous Irvine of the comparatively low-speed incident. 'To wreck a tub at that speed is amazing.

'It sort of says that the FIA (safety) test isn't quite strong enough.'

Irvine says he will now be at a disadvantage because his race car was fitted with a newer specification Ford V10 engine.

'The spare car seems fine but obviously my car had a better engine than the spare,' he said.