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Bright Button leaves Lewis sad

MELBOURNE, Australia - McLaren’s Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton cut contrasting figures after Sunday's season-opening 2012 Australian Formula 1 GP.The victorious Button was ecstatic, pole-starter Hamilton downcast. They owned the front row but then Button had the better start and led to the finish while Hamilton slipped back to third after being passed by 2011 World champion Sebastian Vettel.

'GREAT POSITION'


"It was very special," Button sad. “Starting the year with a win is important. To come away with Lewis's pole on Saturday and victory today puts us in a great position for the next few races.

"I am very excited heading to Malaysia (March 25) but not thinking about that now. I will enjoy this now with friends and family and tomorrow turn my attention to Malaysia."

Button led from the first corner and was comfortably in control when the pace car was introduced with 11 laps remaining after Vitaly Petrov in the Caterham pulled up on the track.

"The biggest worry was the pace car," he said. "A 10-second gap is great but as soon as the safety car comes out and it is 6pm, it's difficult to keep the temperature in the tyres but I did, saved a lot of fuel, then got a good restart - probably better than any year I have raced."

'SHOCKING START'

Hamilton was downcast:  “I just struggled out there," he said. "I got a shocking start, which was really the beginning of it all. It was obviously a tough race but congratulations to Jenson - it was great race for him.

“It would have been great to have had a 1-2 but it just wasn't a good day for me. I will re-focus, get my head down - there are lots of races ahead.

“It's all about consistency - that is what I am going to focus on."
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