Button Lashes Out at BAR

Button, who finished third in the World Championship behind the two Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello last year, has had a difficult start to the season.

And after a disappointing display in the season-opening race in Australia, where he retired when running out of the points, he was furious when his engine expired so early in Sepang.

"Compared to last year we have made a huge step back in every area it looks like at the moment," fumed Button. "It is not good enough. Engineering an engine to do three laps is not hard.

"We are quick, that's the annoying thing, we had the pace and we had a good strategy. This has to change and the thing is I know it is not going to change soon. I am very angry...but there you go."

The retirement was made even harder to take when Button's teammate Anthony Davidson, substituting for the ill Takuma Sato, was also forced out the race with engine failure on lap two.

The team courted controversy in Australia by deliberately retiring their cars on the final lap so that they could replace their engines without penalty for this race.

But the much-criticised move did the team no good and Davidson said: "It's a shame for the team but that is what these new regulations are for. It is a race of attrition.

"My first race for BAR-Honda was not exactly what I wanted but while it lasted it was fun. But I don't get angry. I waved my arm a bit aggressively, but that is about as far as I go."