Jenson Button has come to the support of Lewis Hamilton after the Ferrari driver endured a torrid weekend at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The seven-time F1 drivers' champion qualified slowest in Nevada after confusion over whether he had crossed the start/finish line in time to get a final push lap in Q1.
Conditions were awful during the grid-setting session, which did not help matters, but it was the first time in his 19-year F1 career that he was last on outright pace in qualifying.
He initially carved his way through the pack well during the 50-lap race in Sin City, but the performance in his SF-25 evaporated once he pitted from the hard compound to the medium Pirelli tyres.
That left Hamilton stuck behind the Stake of Nico Hulkenberg, as the 40-year-old followed the German driver home, crossing the line in tenth, before being elevated to eighth by the post-race exclusion of the two McLarens.
The 105-time grand prix winner was dejected during his media duties after the chequered flag, saying he felt "terrible" and that he was suffering through his "worst season ever" in F1.
When it was put to him that the lacklustre result was a consequence of Hamilton's poor qualifying, Button agreed, but was quick to come to the defence of his former McLaren team-mate.
"Yeah, it was," the 2009 F1 drivers' champion said on Sky Sports F1. "But I feel Lewis has carried himself really well this year.
"It's been a very difficult season, for someone of his calibre to have difficult races, and he's carried himself so well.
"This is the first time I feel that we've really seen him seriously deflated," he added, contending by extension that Hamilton's remarks were worse than his suggestion that Ferrari needs a new driver after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
"And it gets to you," the 15-time grand prix winner continued. "Mentally, it's draining when you have a few bad races."
Button argued that things had generally improved from Hamilton's side of the Ferrari garage of late, and that his compatriot will be able to shake off his underwhelming weekend at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
"And it felt like it was on the up — and this might be just one bad race, and it might be back for the next one, and I hope so," he said.
"And he's very good at that. If he has a bad race, he's very good at turning it around at the next one.
"So it won't weigh on him after this weekend, but it's a tough moment for him and his career right now."
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