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Whitmarsh praises Button's attitude

Jenson Button finished ninth in Barcelona after a tough weekend with the Pirelli tyres © Sutton Images

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• Martin Whitmarsh

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Martin Whitmarsh has applauded Jenson Button's perseverance during a difficult weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix and has backed him to bounce back to his best soon.

Button struggled to get his tyres working at the Circuit de Catalunya, qualifying tenth and finishing the race ninth. Whitmarsh said it would have been easy for Button to become disheartened by his problems, but said his driver remained motivated and picked up two crucial points.

"I think Jenson again had a very difficult weekend," Whitmarsh said. "From having been on top of the balance and being very quick in Friday practice when all was easy, he was challenged in trying to understand what was going on over the rest of the weekend. In the circumstances it's very easy to get frustrated with the situation, but I think he showed what a great professional he is by scoring valuable points and in this championship a few points is absolutely vital."

Whitmarsh is confident this year's MP4-27 is a fundamentally fast car capable of winning the championship.

"The underlying pace of our car is very good so we're not displeased and we're going to carry on and develop that," he said. "I think we've got two great race drivers. The fact that here we are eight points away from the top of the championship after all the challenges and issues we've placed in front of ourselves, it just shows that we've got to keep our heads straight, be critical of ourselves and accept criticism from others and get on with it. We can win the next race, we can win these championships, but it's easy to fall into the wrong place with the use of these tyres."

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