Button suspects Vettel could crack
Button suspects Vettel could crack
Vettel is 100 points clear of Button, winner of two races this season.

Spa-Francorchamps: Fighting talk from Red Bull's Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel is music to Jenson Button's ears.

The McLaren driver, winner in Hungary before the summer break in his 200th race, suspects the runaway championship leader could be feeling the pressure after being beaten in the last three Grands Prix.

"It will be interesting to see what his way of thinking is over the next few races because he says he wants to go all out and win them all, which is great," the 2009 champion told Reuters at the Belgian Grand Prix.

"That's exactly what we want. So hopefully that's going to be the case for the whole season."

Button knows how it feels to dominate and win a string of races -- he took six of the first seven in 2009 before the others caught up -- and Vettel has won six of 11 this season.

He has also experienced Vettel's frustration at close hand, with the German, now 24, shunting him out of last year's race at Spa.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh dubbed Vettel a 'Crash Kid' after that incident but the Red Bull driver, who has not looked too stressed about anything on the track this year, has curbed his impetuous streak since then.

"Hopefully he won't be close enough to crash into us but I've got a feeling they (the Red Bulls) are going to qualify quite well as always," said Button.

"But this is an interesting circuit in terms of racing because if you are racing someone and you're close behind, it's so easy to overtake them up the hill with the DRS (adjustable rear wing)."

HAWAII HOLIDAY

The Briton, rested after a break in Hawaii and also serving as best man at a friend's wedding in Somerset, said Vettel could make mistakes whether he tried to bank safe points or went for all-out victory and nothing could be ruled out.

"When it gets to you, you can see what happens.

"I watched Abu Dhabi (the last race of 2010) on the TV the other day -- I couldn't keep away from racing -- and he (Ferrari's Fernando Alonso) was leading by 15 points before the start of that race, and he lost the championship to Sebastian," said the 31-year-old.

"That's just like 'Wow!.' It just shows you that when things are tough, or you are trying to hold a lead, it can be quite difficult when you think about it too much."

Vettel is 85 points clear of team mate Mark Webber with eight races remaining while Button, winner of two races this season, is 100 off the lead.

Button said the McLaren should be strong at Spa, where Button's team mate Lewis Hamilton won last year, and had felt good in tests in the simulator.

"It does look remote," he said of his own chances. "For me to win the championship there is a very slim chance but there is still a chance so I'll give it a go.

"Our last couple of races in terms of pace, we should be very happy with ourselves and we bring that to this race.

"If you're quick here then you are going to be quick in Monza as well, so that's two races done," added Button.

"And if you can pick up maximum points there and pull a few points on Seb, it's six races to go and we'll see. I think he can be beaten, definitely, but it's going to be tough."

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