Button's Hockenheim fears

The new layout features a long straight followed by a tight hairpin, which has a tarmac run-off area rather than the traditional gravel. Button is worried that cars will not shed speed quickly enough in event of brake failure at the end of the straight.

"The only problem with the new Hockenheim from a safety point of view is the hairpin," he said. "From what I have seen they have just put tarmac down, which is fine for high-speed corners, where if you spin off you won't be going straight. But 200mph into a hairpin with tarmac at the exit as a run-off is really dangerous. If your brakes fail you have nothing to slow you down. It should always be gravel."

The FIA is confident that asphalt is even more effective than gravel in accidents of that nature.

The German Grand Prix takes place on July 28.