Jenson Button wrestled to keep his ill-handling BAR Honda ahead of Michael Schumacher and Jarno Trulli in the closing stages of the Malaysian GP – only to give way at the very last corner.
Jenson Button wrestled to keep his ill-handling BAR Honda ahead of Michael Schumacher and Jarno Trulli in the closing stages of the Malaysian GP – only to give way at the very last corner.
Button eventually scored the Honda-powered team’s first points of the season by crossing the finish line in seventh place. However, the Briton could have finished as high as fifth if he had kept ahead of the Italian’s Renault and German’s Ferrari a few seconds longer.
Malaysia has not been a happy hunting ground for Button. Last year, Button lost out on what would have been a comfortable third place finish when his Renault developed technical problems on the last lap and was passed by Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari.
On Sunday, the BAR-Honda driver was the team’s best hope for points after team-mate Jacques Villeneuve’s gearbox failed at the start.
“It was a very tiring race and the car was so difficult to drive,” said Button. “We were a lot slower than the Renaults today and when the car is hard to handle it is difficult to stay in front.
“I had very low grip, not just on the rear but also on the front, and the oversteer got progressively worse towards the end. It just destroyed the tyres.
“I held off Jarno (Trulli) for as long as I could, then on the last corner I braked where I normally would and the rear just locked up. I went straight on and both Jarno and Michael (Schumacher) were able to get through. It’s very disappointing because I was fighting hard to hold on to fifth, the Briton added.
BAR’s technical director Geoffrey Willis said: “It was a good result for the team. We got our first points of the season in a very tough race. Jenson put in a determined drive despite struggling with a difficult car”.