21/07/2014
NEWS STORY
After watching the race on TV, Jenson Button reconsiders his opinion of Lewis Hamilton's Hockenheim mid-race move.
In a race which he appeared to be knocked back three steps for every two he took forward, seemingly due to poor strategy, the last thing Button needed was a mid-race tangle with his former teammate Hamilton.
The Mercedes driver, fighting his way through the field, came across his former teammate shortly after his second pit stop and having passed Daniel Ricciardo to take seventh. Hamilton attempted to pass Button on the inside at the Hairpin but the two clashed. Whilst the left-front wing on the Mercedes was visibly damaged - though Hamilton was still able to subsequently set the fastest lap of the race - Button's race rapidly began to fade.
While Hamilton subsequently waved an apology to Button, at the end of the race the McLaren driver was still clearly angry.
"He drove into my rear wheel, that’s all I have to say,” he told Sky Sports F1. “I guess he thought I was going to let him past but I am out there doing my race and it would be boring if we all just let him through coming through the field.”
Speaking shortly after, the McLaren driver was even more forthright.
"Why would we let anyone through?" he told reporters. "I don't know if you've noticed, but a lot of drivers do that line to get a good exit from the corner.
“I think the problem with Lewis is he expected me to let him past," he continued. "I don't think I'm the only person he drove into today. It's strange, when the car's so much quicker, you'd think he wouldn't get into so many fights, but there you go. He drove into my rear wheel. I'm out there doing my race. It would make it boring if we all let him past when he was coming through the field."
For his part, Hamilton argued that he believed Button was making a space for him to pass.
“It was really tough to get through the pack safely and I had a bit of a collision with Jenson,” said the Mercedes driver on the podium. “I honestly thought he was opening the door to let me pass, he's been a bit like that in the last race, for example, but it was my bad judgement.”
Later in the evening, Button took to Twitter, and having watched the incident in more detail could understand why Hamilton had made the move.
"After watching the race back think I overreacted with my feelings about Lewis's move," he tweeted. "I can understand why he thought I was giving him room. Amazed we both got around the corner!!"
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.
Chris Balfe