Jenson Button has questioned Sebastian Vettel’s suggestion he would flout team orders again this season if it meant topping the podium.
Vettel caused a storm within his Red Bull team and the wider Formula One grid when he directly disobeyed an order from team principal Christian Horner at the last race in Malaysia.
And, in the lead-up to the next race, Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, the triple world champion admitted he would potentially do the same again.
But McLaren driver Button said: “I’m surprised he said that. He’s such a talented driver, very successful and he seems like a driver the team love, who is likeable and an easy-going character, so it is surprising for him to say that. Obviously he’s done it once and he knew what he was doing.”
Both Vettel and Mark Webber, who had been leading the preceding race in Sepang, were ordered to turn down their engine settings and hold position in order to keep their one-two positions.
While Webber obeyed the order, Vettel did not and passed his team-mate both to the chagrin of the Australian and his team.
Button added: “If you’re told to hold station, and you know that before the race, then kick up about it before the race. Don’t just do the opposite during the race. That’s the biggest issue. If we had that issue at this team . . . well, I wouldn’t have agreed before we went racing in the first place.”
Button finished today’s second practice session in Shanghai sixth quickest. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, who has had an excellent start to the year, was nearly half-a-second quicker than team-mate Fernando Alonso in third, with Kimi Raikkonen for Lotus in second.
Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, who topped the first session ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, was fourth-fastest in the second outing ahead of Webber. Vettel was 10th behind Hamilton.
