• Belgian Grand Prix

Button didn't expect to one-stop

Jenson Button: "We weren't really sure what to do with the strategy" © Sutton Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• Race:
• Belgian Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Jenson Button

• Teams:
• McLaren

Jenson Button said the decision to run a one-stop strategy at the Belgian Grand Prix was not McLaren's plan from the start of the race.

Button led from the lights to flag at Spa-Francorchamps to take his first win since the opening round of the season. Crucial to his victory was his one-stop strategy, which he said was made as the race progressed.

"We weren't really sure what to do with the strategy, whether it would be a one-stop or a two-stop and whether some people might be doing a three," Button explained. "We were really just playing it by ear and when Nico [Hulkneberg] got in to second it did help us a little bit because I could just feel the car and not push it that hard, but at that point I still didn't think we'd do a one-stop. But on lap 12 the tyres just started working and it became really good to drive and I could control the degradation of the tyres. It's always easier when you are leading the race, but it was great to go so much further than everyone except for Seb [Vettel]."

Button said the victory in Belgium meant a lot to him.

"All weekend the car felt reasonably good and this is the first circuit we've come to which is low downforce and everywhere else we go we pretty much run full downforce. It's nice to try something different and I just love Spa. Going through Eau Rouge is easy flat but it's still an experience with the G that we pull. To lead from start to finish makes it a very special victory and it's really nice to win it on a circuit like this. I remember watching Formula One back in the day here, it was a little bit different then, but there's so much history and it's good to be a part of that."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.