Button 'punished' with 3 place grid penalty!

Jenson Button will start his next F1 race three positions lower than he qualifies... whichever race that may be!
25.05.2017 - Free Practice 2, Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren MCL32
25.05.2017 - Free Practice 2, Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren MCL32
© PHOTO 4

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Jenson Button has picked up an official three-place grid penalty for 'his next race' as punishment for colliding with Pascal Wehrlein in the Monaco Grand Prix.

Making a one-off appearance in the Monaco race in place of Indy 500 committed Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button endured a torrid day after penalties for an engine change consigned him to a pit lane start before spending 60 laps stuck behind the slower Sauber of Pascal Wehrlein.

Button eventually attempted a pass into Portier, but instead clipped the Sauber to send it onto its side, ending with it resting against the barrier head first.

Though Wehrlein was able to walk away once he was extracted, the German - who blamed Button for the collision - has revealed he may need to undergo more checks on his back following a troublesome injury earlier in the year.

The incident has in turn also seen Button come under the wrath of the stewards, who deemed him at fault and have duly penalised him with a penalty of three positions... provided he races again this season, which he says is very unlikely.

"The Stewards heard the explanation of BUT that he believed that after WEH gave way to the Ferrari, that WEH had lost momentum and that going into Turn 8 WEH was also going to be on the dirty line.

"WEH explained that he was in fact back on the racing line, at normal speed, and that he did not see BUT move to the inside as he was not expecting it. Having reviewed all the angles of video, the Stewards concluded that WEH was on the racing line, and that the move BUT made was unlikely to result in a clean pass.

"The Stewards did not consider the consequences of the collision which resulted from BUT trying to brake at the last moment and WEH's interlocked wheel causing the car to turn on its side. The Stewards determined that BUT was

"Predominantly to Blame, under Art. 38.2a of the Sporting code and caused the incident, and therefore applied a 3 grid place penalty to BUT for his next race this season, and two penalty points."

It is understood the penalty does not transfer to Alonso when he makes his return to the cockpit of the McLaren MCL32 in the Canadian Grand Prix.

Though Button was thankful not to have caused harm to Wehrlein in the clash, he did defend the move, blaming the poor visibility from the mirrors for the incident.

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