Photo: DTM Media

Jenson Button annoyed after incident with Sheldon van der Linde

Team Kunimitsu’s Jenson Button, taking part in this weekend’s DTM season finale at Hockenheim as a guest driver with a Honda NSX-GT, hit out at BMW Team RBM’s Sheldon van der Linde after the South African pushed him off the track after a safety car restart.

Van der Linde received a warning for the maneuver and, two laps later, a drive-through penalty for a similar move on Audi’s Jamie Green.

Button said after the race: “At the restart, he pushed me off the track and got a penalty. Maybe he’ll learn from it.”

Button fell to 13th place on the track, but managed to work his way back to ninth overall, with van der Linde finishing in 16th place.

It wasn’t the only problem for the Briton as he struggled with the tyres and setup issues. “Tyre pressures went through the roof, so I was sliding around. Maybe the DTM cars work differently, but the set up is so different and we lack on lateral traction. I cannot do the final sector like the DTM cars, it’s impossible for me.”

Button also lost time due to an 18-second tyre change, which plunged him in the classification after running in the top eight during the first half of the race.

“I feel for the guys,” Button added. “They are used to 45-second pit stops with refueling and that, so they’ve never done a fast stop. Still, I managed to fight back to ninth place.”

The Briton also played down his prospects for Sunday’s raced: “We lack a lot of grip with the wet tyre so, if the forecast is right and it rains, we absolutely have no chance.”