No smiles for Button despite 1,000 point milestone

© AP Photo/Miguel Angel Morenatti

For McLaren driver Jenson Button, passing the personal milestone of 1,000 career points provided little succour after a difficult race at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Button had won three out of the previous four races at Albert Park, so snatching a couple of points for ninth place hardly counted as cause for celebration, even if it took him to 1,001 points.

The Briton said "although that's a nice stat, it doesn't ease the pain caused by the knowledge that our car still needs a lot of work done before it's properly competitive."

McLaren is well off the pace due to a radical overhaul of its cars while rivals have adopted a more conservative design approach.