Button surprised by dramatic win
Albert Park played host to a race filled with drama and overtaking to help diminish complaints that the sport was boring following the uninspiring season-opener in Bahrain.
The excitement was aided by a spell of rain shortly before the start which forced teams to quickly change to intermediate tyres.
Seconds after the five red lights went out, Fernando Alonso spun at the first turn after hitting Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes as Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel comfortably held onto first place.
A crash between BMW Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi and Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg brought the safety car out and once it left at the end of lap five, Button was the first to enter the pits to switch to slicks.
It proved an inspirational decision as he charged into second place before Vettel suffered brake failure leaving Button firmly in control as he breezed to victory in Melbourne for the second successive year.
The 30-year-old had felt that his car was not quite capable of challenging the pace of rivals Red Bull and Ferrari, but made the right tactical choice.
Asked about winning his first race with McLaren, Button said: “I thought it would take longer than this. A lot depends on what sort of car you come out of the box with.
“I don’t know in general pace where we stand but that is not all racing is about. It is also about strategy, thinking and conserving. This is very special and whatever happens in the next few races, this means a lot to me.”
Button, who made the switch to McLaren after winning the world title with Brawn GP, was expected to play second fiddle to team-mate and 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton this year, but that would certainly not seem to be the case.
“After being with one team for seven years and then clinching the title, getting a victory here after two races is very special for me,” he added.
“When you can get good points finishes like this it really does mean a lot when you have a car you don’t think is quick enough really to win races every weekend.
“We just have to work hard and hope we can bring a good package to the next few races.”
The win means Button is third in the drivers’ championship with 31 points, two behind Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, with Alonso leading the way on 37 points.
