Back twinge no excuse for Button in Britain

(GMM) After qualifying a lowly eighteenth at Silverstone, Jenson Button said he did not experience a repeat of the back problem that left him in a London clinic on Friday.

While a record crowd of 80,000 converged to watch rookie countryman Lewis Hamilton secure pole at his home circuit, Button in his Honda failed even to pass the 'Q1' cut, unlike teammate Rubens Barrichello who will line up fourteenth on the grid.

But Button, 27, told reporters that his back twinge on Friday was not an excuse for qualifying so low today.

"It didn't help but it didn't cause a problem today," the Briton said.

He added: "The important thing is the race. We've got to do a lot of physio on it to make sure it's right."