Two weeks after the team's double third-lap retirement in Malaysia, Button could not get to grips with the circuit, though he did finish one place ahead of team-mate Takuma Sato.

BBC: QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Renault's Fernando Alonso chose the same tactic a lap later and it secured the double world champion the fourth place he had held for much of the race.

BBC: Hamilton stripped of Belgian win

Double world champion Alonso looked set to top the times with an impressive lap set in the morning but the German beat him by 0.023 seconds later on.

BBC: Novice Nico Hulkenberg upstages Fernando Alonso

It was on a new track in the northeastern corner of Italy that the double-amputee from South Africa trained last year for his Olympic debut, running lap after lap on his Cheetah Flex-Foot blades in preparation for his trip to the world's biggest sporting event.

NPR: News Of Pistorius Leaves Many In Disbelief

The realistic handling of the cars is a double-edged sword because it can be a bit frustrating at first when you spin out on practically every lap.

CNN: Review: Monaco Grand Prix Racing Simulation