• Hungarian Grand Prix
Comments: 5

Button bamboozled by strategy

ESPN Staff
July 29, 2012 « Red Bull was capable of more - Vettel | Alonso hails Ferrari for consistency »
Jenson Button was running third at the start of the race © Getty Images
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Jenson Button was left confused by his pit stop strategy at the Hungarian Grand Prix after pitting three times and dropping from third on the first lap to sixth at the finish.

Button started on a two-stop strategy but had to switch to a three-stop due to excessive tyre degradation. However, he came out behind Bruno Senna after his first stop and then emerged behind Fernando Alonso at his final stop and lost time trying to pass both.

"I don't know really what was going on there," Button said. "The weird thing was that coming out of the first stop I could still see the leaders coming out of turn two when they were coming out of turn three so we were very close.

"Then we decided to go for a three-stop, but stopping very early and both times I came out in traffic I kept thinking 'why am I in traffic again' because normally you pit to get into clear air. Then I just sat in traffic and the traffic I was in was slower than the people I was racing against so I could never beat them. Not the best day so I'm disappointed."

Button was not helped by a slow first pit stop, which sporting director Sam Michael said the team was investigating but was believed to be due to a problem with the equipment.

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