Button backtracks

Jenson Button initially slammed former team-mate Lewis Hamilton following the German Grand Prix, only to make a complete U-turn later on in the day.

The McLaren driver criticised Lewis Hamilton for his aggressive driving, questioning why Hamilton had made contact with both himself and Kimi Raikkonen during a spectacular race in Germany.

Hamilton drove his Mercedes from 20th on the grid to 3rd in a remarkable performance of race craft, carving his way though the field to stand on the podium.

However ultimately it was his collision with Button, which cost him an unlikely second place and Mercedes a one-two finish at their home Grand Prix.

On lap 30 Lewis Hamilton came up behind Jenson Button heading into the hairpin, Hamilton had been a long way back but closed up rapidly during the breaking zone due to the use of DRS down the straight.

Hamilton initially didn’t look like he was going to attempt a move down the inside, until Button ran wide and had looked as if he was giving up the inside line for Hamilton.

Button is well known for his passive racing style, often appearing determined to not battle defensively for position as he’s more interested in preserving his tyres and fuel and completing his race strategy to the letter.

This had been evident the week before at Silverstone and Hamilton had assumed that this was the case again, however this time Button closed the door at the mid-point of the apex and Hamilton hit the McLaren’s side pod, narrowly missing a front wheel to wheel collision, knocking off his front-wing end plate.

Hamilton admitted he was at fault for the manoeuvre and even held his hand up out of the cock-pit to apologise on the following lap when he did successfully complete the move.

The Brit also took full responsibility for the incident post race.

‘It was really tough to get through the pack safely and I had a bit of a collision with Jenson, I honestly thought he was opening the door to let me pass – he’s been a bit like that in the last race, for example – but it was my bad judgement.? Hamilton said on the podium.

Speaking to the BBC he added: ‘Jenson has been very much a gentleman in not giving me too much trouble to pass in previous races so when I was approaching him at quite a big rate I was planning to go on the inside.

‘I wasn’t close enough but I was on that line. It looked like he’d backed off and gone wide so I thought: ‘OK, I’m taking the line’ and then he cut back across.’

But despite Hamilton’s actions and comments, Button saw fit to criticise Hamilton in his post-race interviews.

?He drove into my rear wheel, that?s all I have to say, I guess he thought I was going to let him past but I am out there doing my race and it would be boring if we all just let him through coming through the field.? Button told Sky Sports.

Speaking to the BBC he added: ‘I don’t think I’m the only person he drove into, It’s strange when the [Mercedes] car is much quicker, you wouldn’t think he would get into such fights.’

However on Twitter he later retracted his comments writing: ‘Interesting GP today, loved the tussles out on track.

‘After watching the race back think I overreacted with my feelings about Lewis’s move. I can understand why he thought I was giving him room.

‘Amazed we both got around the corner!! F1 put on a great show today and long may it continue!