Jenson Button was an early retirement in the Austrian Grand Prix, with the McLaren-Honda driver stopping in the pit lane just after taking his stop/go penalty for his engine change, with the Briton running at the back of the field.
The 2009 World Champion stopped as a precaution, revealing that he did not want to unnecessarily damage the new engine that had been fitted for this weekend at the Red Bull Ring.
“Nothing was broken on my car, but something was wrong – and the switch-changes didn’t make any difference,” said Button. “So the team took the decision to retire the car – we’d fitted a brand new engine this weekend, and we didn’t want to unnecessarily damage it, so we decided to stop.”
Button is already looking ahead to his home Grand Prix at Silverstone, and insists McLaren will make another step forward in two weeks time. Despite the disappointing season so far, he remains positive that it will come good for both himself and team-mate Fernando Alonso.
“Silverstone will be another step forward,” said Button. “Hopefully, we’ll have got rid of our issues so I can have a stronger race in front of my home crowd. And, after that, Hungary is a circuit that should suit us, so we can get a good result there.
“In times like these, you’ve just got to stay positive. Everybody back at the factory listens to our post-race interviews, and both Fernando and I want to keep everyone motivated. We’re in a good place, because we know what this package can achieve, so hopefully everyone will continue to stay strong.”
