• Korean Grand Prix - Qualifying

Button blames tyre temperature for qualifying struggle

ESPNF1 Staff
October 23, 2010 « Priority is to finish race, says Alonso | »
Jenson Button was off the pace in Korea © Getty Images
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Jenson Button has blamed a lack of tyre temperature for his seventh place qualifying position at the Korean Grand Prix.

Throughout Friday practice Button was trading fastest laps with team-mate Lewis Hamilton and the other front runners, but an overcast sky on Saturday meant the track was several degrees cooler for qualifying. Button struggled through to Q3 and never looked like troubling the front two rows of the grid in the final session.

"Yesterday and this morning I was very happy with the car; the balance was extremely good and we were looking strong," he said. "This afternoon I couldn't get the tyres up to temperature and struggled a bit with locking fronts and rears. I didn't have enough grip and couldn't find enough pace."

However, with rain possible for Sunday's race and the McLaren looking quick through sector one, Button is still optimistic.

"It's going to be a bit tough tomorrow, whatever the weather does. But the good news is that I'll be starting from the clean side of the grid, and there are a couple of long straights after the first corner, so it'll be a fun first lap!"

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