Button rues 'rubbish' mistakes

British driver misses out on top ten in Melbourne.

Last updated: 15th March 2008

Honda January 2008 jenson button

Button: Mistakes

Related links

Teams

Drivers

Also see

Jenson Button admitted he produced some 'rubbish' mistakes which cost him a top ten place on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix.

Button will start from 13th on the grid after only just missing out on the final qualifying session by just under a tenth of a second.

The Honda driver says some mistakes during his final lap at Albert Park cost him a top ten place.

"The car was working pretty well but I just had a rubbish couple of corners," Button admitted.

"We lost about four tenths, which is so annoying. But I'm surprised by our performance and considering the mistakes I made, I'm pretty happy."

Winter

"It's pleasing, also because how much we were slated in the winter for our performance.

"We came here after testing and we were almost a second off everyone over one lap so I'm happy, but I'm also disappointed in my own efforts really because the time was there, it's just that I pushed a little bit too hard and made a couple of mistakes.

"It would have put us into Q3 - but it's another thing if we deserve to be there.

"We were a bit lucky with the retirement of (Kimi) Raikkonen and maybe (Mark) Webber.

"I think when it settles down in a couple of races before we get our new package, I think we'll see that we're probably not in the top 10.

"There are some quick cars out there but drivers aren't doing the same sort of job, which is why we are able to be where we are."

Points

28-year-old Button believeshe could sneak his Honda into the points in the Australian Grand Prix.

"We probably punched a little bit above our weight," he added.

"I'm very excited because nobody knows what to expect. The first sort of six cars are probably going to disappear but who knows what can happen after that.

"If people up front are unreliable, there's a possibility, but I don't think we'd be getting points on merit - we're not quick enough.

"But I am excited to see where we fit in at the end of the race."