Button disappointed 'big time'

The 22-year-old ran as high as third before his troubles began. David Coulthard passed him into the first corner before he began to slip back out of the points. He was eventually forced to stop three laps from the end.

"The car wasn't fantastic at the beginning of the race, with high-speed understeer and oversteer in the slower corners" said Button. "We didn't manage to adjust the car to correct it during the pitstops, and then I had the hydraulic problem.

"The steering got very heavy and it was as if somebody had switched the electric off towards the end!"

Button had a close call early in the race when Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren lost its rear wing right in front of him. "I didn't see anything," he said. "I was too busy trying to avoid the wing on the track!"

Hia team-mate Jarno Trulli looked set for fourth place until engine problems ruined his day. He retired a lap after Button.

"Overall, I had a good race," said the Italian. "The car was working well and I was pleased with our pace. The problem was there from the beginning, but I could handle it until mid-race. After that, it got worse and worse until there was nothing I could do. It's a shame, but things look promising even though."

Team boss Flavio Briatore said: "Although we were competitive at the start of the race, the problems show that we are still not quite ready. We now need to work harder to correct them."