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Vettel's approach surprises Button

Jenson Button says he would not allow a similar team order to be agreed at McLaren © Sutton Images

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Jenson Button admitted he is "surprised" that Sebastian Vettel says he would disobey team orders again.

Following the issues in Malaysia, Vettel has apologised to his Red Bull team for ignoring a call to not overtake Mark Webber. However, in China Vettel then said if he had understood the order he would still have ignored it because Webber "didn't deserve" to win the race. Having been made aware of what Vettel had said, when it was put to Button that it was just part of the psyche of a triple world champion he expressed his surprise at Vettel's comments.

"Lots of people have won world championships without being like that," Button said. "I'm surprised he's said that, personally. He's such a talented driver and he seems like a drive that the team love and they should; he's very successful, he seems like an easy-going character.

"It's surprising for him to say that. Obviously he's done it once; he knew what he was doing. We all want to win, but if you're told to hold station and you know that's the rule before the race then kick up about it before the race, don't just do the opposite in the race and I think that's the biggest issue."

Button also said that Red Bull and Mercedes were wrong to apply team orders so early in the season.

"I do not like team orders - I've said that before - but they're legal. I would understand if I couldn't win the championship anymore. I would understand if the team said to me 'Right, if you're leading this race and your team-mate is in second and needs the points to win the championship' then I would let him past. I wouldn't even need to be told that; I would do it myself because it's the right thing to do. But in the second race of the season I don't think it's the right thing to do.

"The worrying thing is if the idea now is when you get to the last pit stop the guy leading is the guy that wins the race - which I think might have been the way that Red Bull was - then basically you hammer the first part of the race, use as much fuel as you want, you pit before your team-mate to come out in front of him and then that's it; you just cruise home and he can't overtake you. I'm hoping that's not going to be the way from now on - it won't be here."

Asked how this weekend would be for McLaren, Button joked: "It's going to be amazing; there's going to be cars all over the place, it's going to be great!"

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.