 Button Enjoys 'Exciting' Battle with Montoya Sunday March 31st, 2002 By Will Gray
Button, 22, was forced to fend off the McLaren cars of David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen for most of the race as he struggled with an understeering car. He then had to contend with Juan Pablo Montoya's Williams for the final nine laps. Montoya, who had dropped to the back after colliding with Michael Schumacher on the first lap, was unable to pass Button, however, and the Briton revealed he had a bit of help on the radio as he was chased to the finish. "Having to keep Juan at bay was exciting," said Button. "Nine laps to go and he's right up my arse and I am thinking, 'Oh'. The boys on the radio said 'you can keep him at bay, no problem' but I was thinking: 'He's right behind me!' "I don't think he could get close enough to me, though, and I have had so many moments like that in F1 that you just relax and push as hard as you can. It's good to be able to hold off a Williams like that." Button's performance dramatically improved after his pitstop because the team made a slight change to the front wing and the second set of tyres responded better to the conditions than the first. And although he admitted holding up the McLarens in the first stint, he was encouraged by the fact he could lap faster than them in the second. "The first stint wasn't great for me and I had quite a lot of oversteer, that's why both McLarens were able to get past me," said Button. "I don't know what the problem was but after the pit stop the car was working very well and I think I was doing the same times as the McLarens." Button is now the only man to score points for the new Renault team, in their first Formula One season since 1985, and he is fourth in the Championship on six points.
Published at 22:35:50 GMT
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Briton Jenson Button was relieved but tired after scoring his second successive fourth place for Renault in a gruelling Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos on Sunday.
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