More Benetton woe for Button
Jenson Button battled through another weekend of frustration as Benetton's predicted renaissance failed to get off the ground during Sunday's French Grand Prix
The Benetton team had promised it would start to make significant steps forward at its engine supplier Renault's home race, after a season of struggle with a radical wide-angled V10. However, an improved race engine and new aerodynamic changes failed to get the Enstone-based outfit in the points.
Button was on course to finish in 12th place, but spun off with just two laps remaining after a catalogue of problems, while his team mate Giancarlo Fisichella reached the chequered flag in 11th.
"It was very frustrating to get that far and not finish," said Button, "but it went bad a long time before that. The different engine we were using really wasn't that different and the aerodynamic changes maybe helped us a little bit.
"Perhaps we were a bit more on the pace than usual, but nothing significant. The start of the race wasn't great but I made up a couple of places on the first two laps. We weren't running too badly and we had quite a good set-up."
As if to add to his problems, Button was the victim of a pitlane mix-up and was forced to come in early due to a fuel pick-up problem, only to find Fisichella in the way.
"At the first pit-stop we lost quite a bit of time," he said. "Then we had a fuel pick-up problem which is why I had to come in early and had to park up behind Giancarlo, which wasn't great. I got back out and pushed really hard, but I flat-spotted a tyre. It felt like being on a fair ground ride and then something locked on the rear, which made me spin off."
Button has yet to finish inside the top 10 so far this year.
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