Button "deserves to whinge" over traffic ahead of 300th race
McLaren's Jenson Button will start ninth for his 300th grand prix, and says he "deserves to whinge" about an incident-packed Q1 session during which he spun.
Button hit traffic three times in qualifying, but progressed through Q1 and Q2 on his final laps to eventually beat both Williams to ninth on the grid.
"All weekend has been really difficult to get a good balance, and qualifying was the first time I actually enjoyed driving the car, it felt good," said Button.
"We just chipped away at it over qualifying, and pretty happy to be in front of both Williams and just behind the Force Indias. The balance wasn't quite there in Q3, just a bit too twitchy at the rear. It's nice to fight a bit further up the grid.
"I think we can race pretty well from there. Now it's just about not crashing on lap one, which I've done three times in the last five races!"
Traffic causes headaches
Button has incidents while passing Kevin Magnussen, Esteban Ocon and Romain Grosjean during qualifying, which led to a series of complaints over his radio.
"I deserve to whinge, it's my 300th race," said Button.
"We went out a lap early, because it got a bit cloudy and looked a bit rainy, and everyone else was just dawdling and cruising around, as you do. And I don't know if they're not being told over the radio or what, but every time there's a car near me I'm told and I get out of the way because it's considerate.
"I came up behind a Renault [Kevin Magnussen] through Turn 14 and I don't know what he was doing, he went off the circuit to get out of the way, I think, and then I spun off because I lost all my downforce.
"And then I came up behind Ocon into Turn 9 and I had to lunge him into the braking zone, and then there was Grosjean. It's just not what qualifying is all about.
"Anyway, it's a bit of action and you've got to have a bit of whinging in Formula 1. I have good right to complain, and next year I won't be complaining and everyone will be bored watching TV!"
Buoyed by recent upgrades
Button was using a new exhaust system today, and says recent upgrades have brought improvements.
"I'm gearing up for 2018 being the winning year anyway, so it's all good," he quipped about his potential return to F1.
"There are good improvements, and I think more than the position I think as a team effort the guys have done a great job.
"Hopefully tomorrow we can bring home some points."
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