Jenson Button

Before the French GP Jenson had been pretty confident that his strategy was good. Indeed, events proved that the BAR was slightly heavier than most of the other top runners in qualifying, but ultimately that didn't help him get ahead.

At the start he passed David Coulthard, but lost a spot to Jarno Trulli. He ran fourth through the first three stints, but just after his last sluggish stop he was passed by Rubens Barrichello on the run to the Adelaide hairpin. As noted in our Saturday Night Fever race preview, a lack of top speed at that point was apparent all weekend.

Thereafter he sat behind Rubens and Jarno, unable to do anything except admire the Brazilian's opportunistic late lunge at the unfortunate Renault driver. Fifth place, less than a second behind third, was still a respectable result. It's worth bearing in mind that several of Jenson's podiums have been helped by retirements ahead, and while this time he wasn't able to take advantage of anyone else's problems, it was perhaps a more competitive performance than Nurburgring.

"At the start I lost out to Trulli," he rued, "And really that cost my race, because I was stuck behind him for the rest of the race. At the last stop we should have been able to get him.

"Our third pit stop was a disaster, really. I had anti-stall as I was pulling out of the box after a great stop. The guys did a good job. I lost out to Trulli, and then Rubens just swept past me on the track."

Jenson felt the car was lacking a little speed in the race.

"I thought we'd be a lot quicker than we have been. The ones we think we're going to be quick at, we don't seem to be. The one we don't seem to be quick at, like Indianapolis... we were lacking in pace today. Jarno wasn't quick. The problem was I was stuck behind him for the whole race, and I don't really know what we could have done.

"The tyres were good - I don't think we had any problems with the tyres. Jarno did have a bit of a problem, because Rubens was able to get past. Rubens in a straight line was outrageously quick, and was able to power past me. And that would have helped him to get past Trulli as well.

"I got points, but we should have been easily third. We had the points to be third. Sitting behind Jarno was disappointing, because we could have gone better, but we don't know, because I didn't get the chance to see.

"At the moment we're not as quick as we thought we'd be compared to the Ferraris. Our biggest problem here was we were not quick enough in a straight line - we just can't get alongside people on the straight, or get anywhere near overtaking."

For Jenson one of the most frustrating aspects was that his heavy fuel load didn't help him gain position at the first stops. He came in on lap 14 - later than all those who qualified ahead of him bar Alonso, who pitted at the same time. Had he run with a little less fuel he might have qualified a little higher up and perhaps kept ahead of Trulli from the start.

"Normally it helps because the others get stuck in traffic, that's one of the big bonuses. But they didn't seem too. At the last stint it would have helped, because I would have got in front of Trulli and Rubens."

If nothing else, Jenson had a grandstand view of the best move of the race, courtesy of Rubens Barrichello. As Jarno is Jenson's main rival for third in the championship, he was happy to see the Italian lose a point, even if it moved Rubens further ahead.

"It was a great move! Everything to go for in the second last corner, and he did a great job. Well done to him, from 10th especially. I don't know what Jarno did three corners from the end, but he drove very slow into the corner and braked really early, and Rubens was right behind him when they got on the power."

Of course, Jenson hasn't lost any motivation going to Silverstone.

"Definitely not. It just means that we need to look at what we're doing wrong, because the third pit stop cost us, for whatever reason. It's very disappointing."