Jenson Button has been given a 5 place grid penalty for the Japanese Grand Prix.
The penalty is yet another blow for the 2009 world champion, who has slipped to 6th in the drivers championship after a number of retirements.
The Brit currently lies 75 points adrift of current leader Alonso, who has consistently finished in the points. That is something Button has not been able to replicate.
Button has retired on 3 occasions this year, two of which cost him points. His season started with a win in Australia and gave both him and the team confidence, but a few difficulties in Malaysia and Bahrain meant he lost touch with the leading pack. After a mid-season slump, Jenson returned to his winning ways in Belgium but lost momentum when the F1 circus arrived in Monza, losing a potential second place due to a fuel pump problem. It was a knock for McLaren too, who have not had a double points finish since Hungary.
The problem found in Button's gearbox was nearly identical to the one which caused Lewis Hamilton's retirement in Singapore, but fortunately for the 2008 world champion he does not face a grid penalty. This is due to the McLaren driver retiring during the race, whereas Button's gearbox has to be replaced after the race.
McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe spoke to Autosport, saying ”Jenson’s gearbox had the same problem as Lewis’s gearbox during the Singapore Grand Prix, and subsequent investigation has revealed a terminal failure. Therefore both cars must start the Japanese Grand Prix with new gearboxes, which means that Jenson will receive a five-place penalty. Of course, this is a great disappointment for Jenson and the team. On the positive side, we have understood and completely resolved the issue, allowing both drivers to compete with confidence for podium positions.”
However what a track to return to. 12 months ago Button took a stunning win after a dramatic start, which saw pole sitter Vettel edge Jenson on to the grass. Jenson referred to it as feeling like a "home win", due to the fact that he spent a large amount of time in the country while at Honda and now visits the country with his Japanese girlfriend Jessica Michibata.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
The problem was found after a thorough investigation by McLaren, and is almost identical to the mechanical gremlin team mate Lewis Hamilton had while leading the Singapore Grand Prix.
The penalty is yet another blow for the 2009 world champion, who has slipped to 6th in the drivers championship after a number of retirements.
The Brit currently lies 75 points adrift of current leader Alonso, who has consistently finished in the points. That is something Button has not been able to replicate.
Button has retired on 3 occasions this year, two of which cost him points. His season started with a win in Australia and gave both him and the team confidence, but a few difficulties in Malaysia and Bahrain meant he lost touch with the leading pack. After a mid-season slump, Jenson returned to his winning ways in Belgium but lost momentum when the F1 circus arrived in Monza, losing a potential second place due to a fuel pump problem. It was a knock for McLaren too, who have not had a double points finish since Hungary.
The problem found in Button's gearbox was nearly identical to the one which caused Lewis Hamilton's retirement in Singapore, but fortunately for the 2008 world champion he does not face a grid penalty. This is due to the McLaren driver retiring during the race, whereas Button's gearbox has to be replaced after the race.
McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe spoke to Autosport, saying ”Jenson’s gearbox had the same problem as Lewis’s gearbox during the Singapore Grand Prix, and subsequent investigation has revealed a terminal failure. Therefore both cars must start the Japanese Grand Prix with new gearboxes, which means that Jenson will receive a five-place penalty. Of course, this is a great disappointment for Jenson and the team. On the positive side, we have understood and completely resolved the issue, allowing both drivers to compete with confidence for podium positions.”
However what a track to return to. 12 months ago Button took a stunning win after a dramatic start, which saw pole sitter Vettel edge Jenson on to the grass. Jenson referred to it as feeling like a "home win", due to the fact that he spent a large amount of time in the country while at Honda and now visits the country with his Japanese girlfriend Jessica Michibata.
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