Button dismisses 'bitter' Briatore

Jenson Button has accused Flavio Briatore of being “bitter” after the Renault boss suggested Brawn GP’s current dominance is damaging the credibility of Formula One.

Button has reaped the benefits of the controversial double diffuser on his Brawn car by winning the Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix and is favourite to add a third victory this season in Shanghai this weekend.

The FIA’s International Court of Appeal on Wednesday ruled the diffuser used by Brawn, Toyota and Williams as legal, leaving the other teams scrambling to make the necessary technical changes and catch up.

Briatore suggested in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport that the ruling has damaged the credibility of the sport.

“Our (McLaren, Ferrari and Renault) drivers are or have been world champions,” he said.

“Then you have a (Brawn GP) driver who was almost retired, and another who is a ’paracarro’ (an Italian term for a concrete roadside post), fighting for the championship.”

But Button, who yesterday topped the timesheets in second free practice, believes Briatore’s comments undermine the hard work he and the rest of his team have done during the winter.

“It is very unfair for Flavio to comment as he has just because he is very bitter,” said the 29-year-old.