Button: Teams Had No Choice

Leaving the track before the end of the race, Button claimed that it would have been too risky to take part in the event after Michelin had warned it could not guarantee the safety of its tyres.

"There is not much we can do," he said. "The fans have come to watch an F1 race here, but we cannot do much.  We have to think of our safety first and if it is not safe to drive then we cannot drive."

When asked whether he believed it would have been possible to find a solution that would have avoided the mass boycott Button said: "You would hope so, but that is not really for me to comment on.

"There has been a lot of discussion about trying to resolve the issue but there was not a solution, so we could not risk it."