Button changes story over Turkey ‘target lap time’

Jensen Button

(GMM) Jenson Button has changed his story since controversially overtaking his teammate Lewis Hamilton during the recent Turkish grand prix. Hamilton was unhappy after the Istanbul race because while under instructions to stick to a minimum lap time whilst conserving fuel, the sister McLaren passed him for the lead.

Button, 30, clearly stated after the race that while also conserving fuel, his engineers "didn't put a lap time on it. They just said you have got to save a bit of fuel".

After hearing those comments, Daily Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary wrote: "So is Button telling the truth or is he trying to dig himself out of a conflict with Hamilton by claiming the directions from the team were a bit vague?"

In Canada on Thursday, the Briton's story had changed.

"I was told to save fuel and I was given a (target) lap time, and that was 1m31s," Button told reporters in Montreal.

Hamilton had already confirmed after Turkey that his target lap time was 1m31s.

Button explained that he only passed Hamilton because the sister MP4-25 recorded a 1m33s "so he was 2 seconds off the lap time we were given".