Jenson Button "surprised" by Lewis Hamilton's McLaren criticism

McLaren driver Jenson Button has admitted that he was "very surprised" by former teammate Lewis Hamilton's criticism of the team.

The 28-year-old, who left McLaren for Mercedes at the end of last season, recently claimed that he had more freedom within his new set-up.

"I was very, very surprised to hear that," BBC Sport quotes Button as saying. "The freedom I have in this team is phenomenal. It's so not like that. It's a very open team, free team, and a team that will do anything for you."

The two drivers will be competing against each other in this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.