• Japanese Grand Prix - FP2

Button explains limited running

ESPN Staff
October 5, 2012 « Lotus won't run rear wing 'device' at Suzuka | Alonso has good feeling after Friday practice »
Jenson Button preferred his car's set-up in FP1 compared to FP2 © Press Association
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Jenson Button explained that a set-up change that couldn't be rectified within the timeframe of FP2 caused him to do limiting running in the afternoon practice session at Suzuka.

Having been quickest in the first session, Button was seventh in the afternoon as he only completed 22 laps - ten less than his team-mate Lewis Hamilton and the least of any driver who didn't crash or have a mechanical problem. Button revealed that he had taken some risks with the set-up as he searches for ways of negating his impending five-place grid penalty, and that he was unable to revert to a previous set-up in time to go out again in FP2.

"We've done a lot of set-up work and a lot of big changes to the car," Button said. "We have to think outside the box a little bit starting where we're going to start - at best sixth - so we tried a few things and not all of them worked.

"I didn't really do many laps that session because the balance wasn't right and we couldn't go back on the changes that we made in the session so it wasn't worth actually doing much running, we just got out at the end for the [practice] start. But we know where to put the car for P3 - that's the important thing - and this morning the car felt good so we'll go back to something similar to that with a few changes."

With Paul di Resta and Michael Schumacher both going off at the Spoon curves, Button said it was strange to see so many mistakes being made.

"It's quite strange; I don't know why it's happening so much here. It's very unusual that we would put a wheel over the white line anywhere. So it doesn't matter what's the other side of the white line, it's just strange. It must be the sunlight or something or I don't know what, but it's strange to see so many people make the same mistake."

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