Back to the Top News Newsfeed

Returning Button hit with 15-place penalty for engine change

Related Topics: McLaren, Formula One, Jenson Button

MONACO (AP) Jenson Button’s one-off return to Formula One at the Monaco Grand Prix is proving problematic.

The veteran British driver is likely to start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid after his struggling McLaren team was forced to make an unscheduled change to the car’s power unit and incurred a 15-place grid penalty.

Given that McLaren has been way off the pace in qualifying, the 37-year-old Button is highly likely to be starting last among the 20 drivers after qualifying later Saturday.

”It’s awful for Jenson and awful for McLaren and not expected at all,” McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said.