Pointless Button admits frustration

Published on 28/05/2012 03:10

JENSON Button has admitted to suffering a “painful” Monaco Grand Prix which he aims to quickly forget.

Button found himself stuck behind Heikki Kovalainen’s Caterham for 70 laps before allowing frustration to get the better of him. The 32-year-old blew a manoeuvre coming out of the swimming pool chicane, locking up behind Kovalainen, spinning and incurring a puncture that forced him out shortly after.

It means for the third race this year Button has failed to score a point and now trails sole championship leader Fernando Alonso by 31 points. With just two points in his last three races overall, it is his leanest spell since he joined McLaren at the start of the 2010 season.

Button said: “It wasn’t really a fight with Kovalainen. If you place your car in the right place you are not going to overtake here. He kept doing that and it was impossible. It’s quite frustrating when you are so much quicker but you can’t overtake. When that happens, it’s game over. I even spun at one point, but then caught him within two laps.

“At least I didn’t do the last eight laps and feel pain for even longer as I got a puncture.

“It’s over now, it was a bad day for us. Hopefully the next race [in Canada] will be better, we can look forward to improving in qualifying and not being unlucky.”

Button concedes that starting 12th hampered his cause, albeit he was further undermined by Romain Grosjean’s accident within a few seconds of the start. In taking avoiding action, Button was forced to use the escape road at Ste Devote, whilst others cut the first corner without penalty, dropping him to 14th behind Kovalainen.

Button added: “When you put yourself that far back in qualifying it’s easy for things to happen. But I couldn’t have been any unluckier at the start as [Kamui] Kobayashi nearly landed on top of me and I was stuck at the exit of Ste Devote.

“I had to try and fight my way back, but it was impossible. That is the way it is. Hopefully our time will come sooner rather than later.”