Button: Hamilton a bit weird during spell as McLaren F1 team-mates
Jenson Button says Lewis Hamilton acted a "bit weird" during their time as McLaren team-mates, after revealing in his autobiography just how strained their relationship got at times


In an exclusive extract from his new book 'Life to the Limit', which appeared in The Daily Telegraph, Button said there were several flash points in their time together that he found difficult to understand.
The first came in their first season together during the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix.
"Midway through that first season, I was ahead of Lewis in the points," wrote Button.
"Did he like being beaten by his team-mate? Probably not, but he's a competitor and I'm sure that like me he relished the challenge.
"That's why we do what we do.
"Personally, he was fine with me, but you could just tell he was a little bit peeved. I don't think that I was to his taste, if I'm honest.
"And things took a bit of a turn for the worse in Turkey, when we almost had a collision that led to a minor falling-out between us."

In that race, then leader Hamilton was angry that Button had overtaken him at a time when he thought they were holding position and confronted Button about his actions afterwards.
"On the podium there was what the media called some 'frosty' body language and a 'muted' celebration," Button added.
"In fact, he came straight out and asked me about it: "Did you pass me against team orders?" "He was the winner. Jesus.
""No," I told him, "I did not pass you against orders. I was never told not to pass you."
"It was a bit weird, slightly unnecessary and a little more proof that all was not well behind the smiles."
Button added he had been unimpressed during the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix weekend, when Hamilton tweeted secret telemetry data to show why he had lost out by running a different rear wing design in qualifying.
"Quite what was in his thinking, I couldn't say," said Button.
"Certainly any displeasure he was showing was aimed at the team, not me, but I ended up being collateral damage because you don't make telemetry public. You just don't.
"The screen grab showed the kind of things you work hard to keep hidden from your rivals. I made my feelings known about that.
"The official version was that I was "disappointed". Had I gone with my unofficial reaction it would have made 'WTF' seem very tame indeed.
"But at the same time I knew it wasn't personal. Bit dumb maybe. But not an 'I hate Jenson' thing so much as an 'I'm fed up with McLaren' thing.
"Later in the season, it was officially announced, that Lewis was leaving to partner Nico Rosberg at Mercedes.
"That was a shame for me; I'd enjoyed our rivalry. Off the track, however, he was still being a bit weird."
Life to the Limit by Jenson Button (Blink Publishing) is out this Thursday

How to force F1 teams to build cars to overtake
Kimi Raikkonen: Ferrari can still win any of 2017's last four GPs

Latest news
Why WTR Acura lacked pace to beat MSR in Daytona 24 showdown
Filipe Albuquerque admits that he knew it would be a tall order for Wayne Taylor Racing to overcome sister Acura squad Meyer Shank Racing in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
After much anticipation, the new dawn for sportscar racing got underway with a result that mirrored last year's IMSA SportsCar Championship's season-opener run to the previous DPi rules. Here's how Acura once again took top honours in the Daytona 24 Hours with a 1-2 led by Meyer Shank Racing, as the new GTP class for LMDh hybrid prototypes made its bow
Alonso's pushy trait a boost for me in 2023 F1 season, says Stroll
Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll says Fernando Alonso's pushy nature will be a boost to both him and the squad this year.
Porsche aims to “learn quick” from Daytona 24 Hours disappointment
Porsche’s director of factory racing Urs Kuratle says his team will gain valuable answers from its disappointing results in the Daytona 24 Hours.
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.