It was another difficult afternoon for McLaren-Honda with both its drivers starting at the rear end of the Italian Grand Prix grid.

Jenson Button put in a feisty effort from the outset, jumping five spots on the first lap and running as high as 9th in the early stages of the race.

"I had a good start, and took some cars into Turn 1. The whole first lap was good - there were a lot of incidents, and I think I got up into ninth."

"Then, unfortunately, I just waited for the other cars to come by. It was a bit difficult out there, because the other drivers were overtaking me in places that I didn't previously think were possible, so I had to look in my mirrors on the entry to every corner."

The former World Champion eventually settled into 15th position, entertaining himself with a good scrap with team mate Fernando Alonso until the latter was forced to retire in the closing laps.

"At the end, I missed out on a good race with Fernando. We'd already had a good little fight for three laps, and there were six to go when he retired. I think it would've been a good fight between us - it's easy for other cars to overtake us, but it's not easy for us to overtake each other, so it would've been quite fun."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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