Coulthard defends Button's performance

Despite Coulthard compounding Button's troubled season by snatching eighth place from him in the closing stages of the Canadian Grand Prix, the Red Bull Racing driver believes that his rival should not be criticised for what is going on at his team moment.

"Jenson is going through a tough time," said Coulthard. "His car just did not seem good. I'd say Jenson is still solid, doing a good job. But you can only pee with the cock you have got.

"Honda are having troubled times. In many ways, I think the team were promising before they had delivered anything but podiums. I am not belittling podiums, but I just know how difficult it is when you are winning to continue winning.

"The team put too much expectation on themselves and the drivers, when they had not even won one race."

Coulthard's comments come on the back of claims from some of Honda's rivals that the recent staffing reshuffle at the team could leave them up to three years away from challenging at the front of the grid.

Honda boss Nick Fry has made it clear, however, that he does not believe it will take long for the impact of the recent changes to be felt. This comes despite technical director Geoff Willis having left the team after Shuhei Nakamoto was promoted to senior technical director.

"I wouldn't necessarily agree with that one," said Fry about suggestions it would take three years for Honda to start winning races. "Teams don't revolve around a single person.

"Underneath Geoff are a whole team of engineers, not only in the UK but in Japan. Nakamoto has been based in the UK for six years, he's not new to us, so if it takes three years, then we really are in trouble!

"Things were in place this year. We've got some major changes of the car from France onwards. None of that is going to be changed, and this year's plan will continue as planned."