MANAMA, April 6, 2008 (AFP) - Jenson Button was left upset and frustrated Sunday after being forced to retire from the Bahrian Grand Prix following a collision with accident-prone fellow-Briton David Coulthard.

The Englishman, in his Honda, was left with nowhere to go when the veteran Scot ´closed the door´ on him as he made an attempt to pass him - and caused a crash that wrecked both drivers´ hopes.

"I was going really well and I was catching Coulthard at a second a lap," explained Button.

"And then when I had a go at him into turn eight, I got a massive tow on him into the high-speed chicane and he moved over to take his racing line.

"Then he realised that I was so close and he moved back, but it was too late. I was already committed.

"The move wasn´t at the apex, it was earlier on and the problem is that he came across in front of me and I couldn´t slow the car down quick enough. So yeah it is disappointing ..."

The pair are friends and neighbours in Monte Carlo.

Button had started from the top ten for the first time this season and had to make an early pit-stop after picking up a puncture. That had already spoilt his chances of fighting for a points finish before Coulthard intervened.

The Honda driver collided with the Scot´s Red Bull when they were fighting at the back of the field and he retired on lap 20.

"It was a frustrating race for me because I had a good start and then I don´t know what happened at turn four. I picked up a puncture so somebody must have touched my rear tyre with their front wing or something. So that screwed my race really.

"But after my pit-stop to change tyres the pace was really good and I think on lap three I was purple (fastest lap). It could have been very different."

He added that it "was not the first time" that this had happened with Coulthard.

The Scot, 37, was involved in a similar crash with Sunday´s victor Brazilian Felipe Massa in the season-opening race in Australia.

"I think the problem is that he did look in his mirrors," he said. "It was a very different accident to (the one with) Felipe because there was no gap in the end for me to overtake.

"But the problem was that when I started to hit the brakes there was a gap. Then he moved across to block the corner and by then it was too late.

"The way I feel, and the way that we discuss in our drivers´ meetings is that you shouldn´t move across in the braking zone and he moved -- and I had nowhere to go.

"When we actually hit each other it was very late in the corner, but that was more me trying to avoid him than anything else. It wasn´t an overtaking move."

Coulthard was also involved in a controversial crash in similar circumstances but in heavy rain at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1998 when he slowed in front of German Michael Schumacher.

They crashed and Schumacher blamed the Scot for wrecking his world title hopes - and endangering their lives.