German GP: Button baffled by Hamilton's driving

Hamilton's Mercedes made contact with Button's McLaren at the hairpin as the younger Briton made his way through the field after his qualifying problems.

Both were able to continue, although Hamilton sustained damage to his front wing.

The title-chasing Mercedes driver said he had thought Button was pulling aside for him.

"I had a bit of collision with Jenson but I thought he was letting me past - my bad judgement there," said Hamilton.

But Button was left baffled by the incident.

"Why would we let anyone through? I don't know if you've noticed but a lot of drivers do that line to get a good exit from the corner," he said.

"I think the problem with Lewis is he expected me to let him past.

"I don't think I'm the only person he drove into today. It's strange, when the car's so much quicker you'd think he wouldn't get into so [many] fights but there you go.

"He drove into my rear wheel, that's all I've got to say and I don't know much else about it.

"I'm out there doing my race. It would make it boring if we all let him past when he was coming through the field."

While Hamilton eventually made it through to third, Button finished only eighth after having to make a late switch from a two to a three-stop strategy.

"I think we pitted way too early on the second stop," he said.

"An aggressive strategy, but to do 37 laps on a set of tyres at the end was always going to be very difficult round here."