Button Hindered by Tyre Problems
Jenson Button blamed tyre graining problems on his BAR for his lack of speed in the Brazilian Grand Prix as he took a lowly seventh placed finish
The Briton had hoped to be challenging for a podium finish thanks to an improved aerodynamics package, but he found himself battling with the handling of his car for much of the afternoon.
"It was a difficult day for us," he said. "Our pace was slow and we suffered with rear graining right from the start. We were on the hard tyre as well, so we didn't expect to get the graining. In fact that's the reason why we took that tyre.
"I struggled particularly on the last section of the circuit, through the fast corner and onto the straight, where we had big oversteer. So not a great day but at least we picked up a couple more points and have a decent qualifying position for Suzuka."
Button's teammate Takuma Sato fared little better, having had to start from the back of the grid after his 10-place penalty for crashing with Michael Schumacher in Spa and an engine change.
He eventually finished in 10th place - which at least gives him a fairly decent qualifying slot for his home race in Japan.
"We started with damp conditions today and I had a lot of fuel on board which meant the car was very heavy," said Sato. "I also had a low downforce set-up so it was very difficult to get heat into the tyres for the first few laps.
"The car was tough to drive with low grip and sliding quite a bit. As the track dried and the car got lighter, my pace picked up and we were on target for our strategy. I then had a mechanical problem with the rear suspension so the car was bouncing a lot and losing stability.
"At least I am pleased to have brought the car home safely. I now look forward to my home race at Suzuka."
Button praises Verstappen F1 quality that cancels weak team-mate argument
Button praises Verstappen F1 quality that cancels weak team-mate argument Button praises Verstappen F1 quality that cancels weak team-mate argument
Button set to race Fangio’s personal Jaguar at Goodwood
Button set to race Fangio’s personal Jaguar at Goodwood Button set to race Fangio’s personal Jaguar at Goodwood
How NASCAR is aiming to thrill on its Le Mans return
How NASCAR is aiming to thrill on its Le Mans return How NASCAR is aiming to thrill on its Le Mans return
Why Ferrari doesn’t agree with McLaren F1 fairytale revival
Why Ferrari doesn’t agree with McLaren F1 fairytale revival Why Ferrari doesn’t agree with McLaren F1 fairytale revival
Why Honda MotoGP team wouldn't block Marc Marquez's exit
Why Honda MotoGP team wouldn't block Marc Marquez's exit Why Honda MotoGP team wouldn't block Marc Marquez's exit
Has IndyCar's Texas loss come at the right time?
Has IndyCar's Texas loss come at the right time? Has IndyCar's Texas loss come at the right time?
Di Grassi leaves Mahindra Formula E team
Di Grassi leaves Mahindra Formula E team Di Grassi leaves Mahindra Formula E team
How football has posed difficult questions for F1
How football has posed difficult questions for F1 How football has posed difficult questions for F1
The fans that offer a ray of light in an increasingly partisan F1
The fans that offer a ray of light in an increasingly partisan F1 The fans that offer a ray of light in an increasingly partisan F1
Japanese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023
Japanese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023 Japanese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023
How Verstappen’s crushing Japanese GP win showed Singapore was a blip
How Verstappen’s crushing Japanese GP win showed Singapore was a blip How Verstappen’s crushing Japanese GP win showed Singapore was a blip
Why the reality of F1 engineering debriefs isn't what Drive to Survive makes out
Why the reality of F1 engineering debriefs isn't what Drive to Survive makes out Why the reality of F1 engineering debriefs isn't what Drive to Survive makes out
How Tsunoda has eliminated a crucial F1 limitation
How Tsunoda has eliminated a crucial F1 limitation How Tsunoda has eliminated a crucial F1 limitation
How McLaren has revamped its F1 team to become a contender again
How McLaren has revamped its F1 team to become a contender again How McLaren has revamped its F1 team to become a contender again
Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge
Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge
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.