Question: Jenson, your engineer said at one point ‘we can race Vettel’ but I guess it just proved a little bit too difficult today?
Jenson Button: Yeah, it was. The last race I really struggled on the first lap and lost a lot of places so I wanted to redeem myself here. Got a good start and was able to get up to second by Turn Four and then it was basically trying to hang on to Sebastian. His pace was very good, he didn’t seem to make any mistakes and every time through the pit stops we gained a little bit. I don’t know if it was the stop itself or if it was after the stop, but on tyres when I came out of the box I felt very good. I felt very competitive and that was when I could really close the gap down. But as soon as Seb got into a rhythm I couldn’t do anything about it really - but all in all for the team I think we have done a perfect job today. We couldn’t have done anything else. Yesterday was a disaster for me in qualifying but I think we have put it right here so a good race but, as Seb said, it is a tough weekend for everyone in motorsport. The last two weekends have been very, very difficult. We have had two fatalities so it is very difficult especially with Dan. I knew Dan from a very early age, he was the guy we always had to beat in the early formulas so very sad also so I think we should dedicate this first Indian race to Dan and obviously Marco, another super talented youngster. He was the most amazing guy to watch on a bike so I think we should dedicate this to them.
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Question: Jenson, tell us about your start briefly. You got past Fernando and Mark. Exciting times?
Jenson Button: It was. The start off the line didn’t feel that good but I think there is such low grip off the start line. Then I was able to get Fernando into Turn One. I think he went a little bit deep and I knew I had to get a good exit out of Turn Three. It is such a long straight. Got a good exit, was in Mark’s tow and when you are in that situation where there is a car behind you can’t do anything about it. He covered the inside, did the right thing, but I had enough speed to go around the outside and carry the speed. It was an exciting part of the race. Then I had Mark behind me for about eight laps, pushing me really very hard. He tried to get down the outside of me into turn four, we both braked very, very late and both ran wide almost off the circuit but kept the position and then I was able to pull away. I think he damaged his tyres quite a bit. But it was a fun race. A little bit frustrating that I couldn’t catch up with Seb, but we did a good job this weekend and that’s the important thing. Pace isn’t quite there, but hopefully in the last two races we can make that little step.
Question: Jenson, you said yesterday you lacked grip in qualifying. What was it like in the race itself?
Jenson Button: Well it wasn’t too bad, I finished second. Yesterday I struggled in qualifying basically just getting a rhythm. Whatever could go wrong in qualy it seemed to and sometimes you have sessions like that. Sometimes everything goes in your way. The race was very different. I had a good start, got past Fernando into Turn One and then it was about judging where to put the car into Turn Three as I had Mark in front that I wanted to overtake but I also had Fernando behind me trying to overtake me. You have to be very careful where you put the car in the entry into Turn Three but judged it well, got a good run on Mark and was able to get him into Turn Four. Then Mark proceeded to push me for the next eight laps around the circuit, pushed me really hard actually. Had a go into Turn Four, we both braked very late, both ran wide, but kept the position and then I was able to kick in and pull a gap. Then it was about trying to set off after Sebastian. But it was very, very tricky. At the pit stops I think the guys did a tremendous job and we seemed to be good on new tyres or after we had put a new set on and the pace was good. But as soon as Sebastian got into a rhythm we couldn’t touch them. But as far as races go I don’t think we put a foot wrong and as a team we did a perfect job this weekend but we just didn’t have the pace of the Red Bulls and Sebastian. I think we need to say a big congratulations to the Indian people for their efforts on building this circuit because the circuit itself is, I think in years to come, we are going to think of it as one of the greats. It is a very special circuit and I really, really enjoy driving around here. I hope we put on a good show and it is also great to see the excitement in the crowd. The people that are here, as there are quite a few people here, they are really getting into the mood and really getting into the action and it is good to see, really good to see, so a very special weekend and thank you to them.
Question: Jenson, when you look at the lap times, sector one and sector two were pretty evenly matched, but you consistently lost to Sebastian in the last sector, three to four tenths. It’s the shortest sector with just four corners; where are you losing?
Jenson Button: I haven’t got a clue! That’s the first I know about it. I don’t know. I’m guessing turn 13, 14, 15 and 16 probably! I don’t know why that’s different to the other sectors. I’m surprised that I didn’t lose more in the middle sector because that’s been a little bit of a weakness throughout the weekend but we’ve obviously sorted that out, but yeah, there are two high speed corners in that sector and two low speed corners so it’s strange why there’s such a difference.
Question: Jenson, Sebastian’s not going to be untouchable in the last couple of races is he? I know, when you get the chance, you can push him hard during the race, and just for Fernando, what is your priority then in the next two races? Have you got one?
Jenson Button: I don’t have an answer for you really. Is he going to be untouchable? I don’t know. I hope not, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that he doesn’t win the next two races but he’s obviously been very strong all year. It’s very, very difficult to challenge Red Bull and Sebastian, but we’re doing everything we can and I think today we did everything right but we just weren’t quick enough, so for the next two weeks, we’ve got to hope that we can make some improvements for Abu Dhabi, a circuit where they’re generally very quick but then again, they were generally very quick in Japan, Suzuka, so… Hopefully we will work well there and we will get everything right and we can challenge Sebastian.
Question: There is an important meeting on Thursday in Geneva with the F1 Commission. One of the subjects to be discussed is the possibility of one team to supply another team with a car. What’s your opinion about that, is that good or bad for Formula One?
Jenson Button: About the car, I think it’s something we need to think about. It’s not something we should jump straight into and give a comment. I think it’s difficult for the teams that do build their own car. They put all the effort into designing a car and working on that car over a winter to suddenly be racing against a Red Bull re-badged or something or a McLaren re-badged or a Ferrari re-badged. It’s a little bit unfair on teams that are in the middle of the pack and they build their own car, but I don’t know the full extent of the conversations that are going to take place and when this is going to be for.
Question: Jenson, McLaren sealed second place in the Constructors’ championship today. How would rate second place in the Drivers’ championship if you get it as well?
Jenson Button: First of all, yeah, congratulations to the team for second. It’s sad always to say congratulations for second but it does make a big difference to the team, moving into the new season. Second in the drivers’ doesn’t mean as much as second in the constructors’. I think when you’ve won a World Championship, nothing else will do really except for first place. The important thing is that we’re strong; for the next couple of races and every race I’m going into I’m fighting for a win. I’m not going to give up on that until it’s the end of the season. I’m very excited about the challenge of Abu Dhabi and especially Brazil - I saw you (Sebastian) look over then! Yeah, that’s exciting, very exciting. Second in the championship? You’ve beaten everyone except one person and it’s that one person that you really want to beat.
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