Button: I deserve to whinge, it’s my 300th race

Editor

Having had a go about the traffic in qualifying, Jenson Button says he was well within his rights to complain about it, after all it is “my 300th race.”

With 22 cars all vying for the best grid slot possible in Q1 at the Malaysian GP, Button tripped over Kevin Magnussen while also have to contend with Esteban Ocon and Romain Grosjean.

The Brit was not happy with the situation but still managed to work his way into Q3 where he qualified in ninth place.

“I deserve to whinge, it’s my 300th race,” said Button.

“I don’t know if they’re not being told over the radio or what, but every time there’s a car near me I’m told and I get out of the way because it’s considerate.

“I came up behind a Renault [Magnussen] through Turn 14 and I don’t know what he was doing, he went off the circuit to get out of the way, I think, and then I spun off because I lost all my downforce.

“And then I came up behind Ocon into Turn 9 and I had to lunge him into the braking zone, and then there was Grosjean. It’s just not what qualifying is all about.

“Anyway, it’s a bit of action and you’ve got to have a bit of whinging in Formula 1. I have good right to complain, and next year I won’t be complaining and everyone will be bored watching TV!”

Button, who qualified ninth, believes McLaren are on course for a strong result come Sunday’s race.

“”We’ve got the two Williams behind but we are in a reasonable position. We should be able to race the cars around us, there’s no reason why not,” he added.