Button bemoans poor strategy

Editor 08 May 2011 3:54 PM

Jenson Button was left frustrated after a series of wrong calls cost him big time at the Turkish Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver was forced to settle for sixth place at Istanbul Park after the team opted to keep him on a three-stop strategy instead of changing it to a four-stopper.

The strategy meant Button became a sitting duck for team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg – who both stopped four times – in the final few laps of the race.

The 31-year-old feels the team should have changed their strategy once it became obvious that four sets of tyres were not going to be enough.

“Most people were probably on my strategy initially, but because most of them damaged their tyres in the first stint they changed their strategy, we didn’t but we didn’t leave our stop until late enough,” he told BBC Sport.

“We should have stayed out longer because the last stint was impossible having so many laps on the hard tyre. You’re not racing any more because the difference in speed is unbelievable.

“They just come past you and you can’t do anything. It’s a pity to finish so far back but strategy wise something we did wrong.”