Button: Strategy cost me

Jenson Button was left bewildered by his team’s strategy after he went from fourth on the Hungarian Grand Prix grid to sixth in the race after getting stuck in traffic during a three-stop race.

Button started well, passing Sebastian Vettel into turn two to slot into third place behind Romain Grosjean and leader Lewis Hamilton. But thereafter his race began to unravel as his team’s strategic calls left him boxed in by slower cars and struggling to keep in touch with the leaders.

“It was not easy out there,” he said. “We stopped early the first time because the rear tyres were going, but it was looking all right on second set of tyres, it wasn’t so bad.

“After the first stop I could still see the leaders coming out of turn two and out of turn three so it was very close,” he added. “Then we decided to go for a three-stop but stopping very early on them.

“Both times I came out in traffic and I thought why am I in traffic? Normally you pit because you want clear air but the traffic I was in was going slower than cars I was racing before, and then we did it again later in the race.”

Button admitted he was disappointed with sixth place but added that at least he knows the team has now got a quick car for the coming races.

“It’s not the best day, so I’m disappointed,” he said. “I’m going to go away now and relax for a while. The car’s quick it’s just that the strategy cost us a lot today.”