Brawn says tyre temperature crucial

Ross Brawn cited tyre temperature issues as the cause of his Brawn GP team's first defeat at Shanghai today

After winning the first two grands prix of the season, Jenson Button had no answer to the pace of the Red Bull cars in China and finished third, ahead of his team-mate Rubens Barrichello.

The result kept Button and Brawn GP at the head of the championship standings.

"It's a good world championship position," Brawn told the BBC. "We weren't quite quick enough today, particularly when the water was very heavy, the drivers found it quite difficult. Red Bull did a great job."

He said his drivers had struggled to keep heat in their wet tyres as effectively as the Red Bulls had.

"We were struggling with tyre temperature after the safety car came in," Brawn explained. "That may have been a factor because when the cars came out after pitstops it didn't seem too bad, and when we could got temperature it was okay. Rubens actually had the fastest lap."

But he added that the team should still be extremely content with its start to the season despite its winning streak ending.

"The fact that we're disappointed with third and fourth says a lot," said Brawn.