Button content with top-10 finish but laments first lap mayhem

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Jenson Button scored his first point of the season and the first since the 2015 US GP, as himself and team mate Fernando Alonso put both McLaren-Hondas in the top 10 at today's Russian GP.

Button was relegated to 15th at the start as a result of the chaos that broke out between turns 2 and 3, with cars making contact and spinning.

The McLaren driver was then forced to fight his way progressively back up the order before falling back once again after his pit stop. It was anything but an easy afternoon cruise for the former world champion.

"It was good, but there was a lot of fighting back because the first lap was not very good," explained Button.

"I didn't really know what was going on, there was a car facing the wrong way and the immediate reaction is obviously to back off as I was going to him if I didn't.

"There was a lot of mayhem. The problem is that it's so wide the circuit, and there's so much run-off area that people take more risks. In China I was lucky on my first lap but here I was unlucky."

The McLaren's pace was good all afternoon according to Button, but was hindered by the difficulties linked to overtaking. In the end though, a reliable performance and points were a reason to be satisfied even if the team benefitted from others misfortunes.

"It's mega! We've got a lot more points now than we had last year at the same time. It's really good for the team even if we gained some position today through other peoples incidents. You've got to take it when you can and it was good that we could here.

"The next race is still a little bit difficult for us in terms of outright pace but then Monaco will be good for another good points score."

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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.