SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium -- Pascal Wehrlein says he could do nothing to avoid contact with Jenson Button after crashing out of the Belgian Grand Prix on the first lap.

During a chaotic first lap, Wehrlein was behind Jenson Button at the Les Combes chicane and appeared to get a better drive through the middle of the corner. As he tried to cut inside Jenson Button Wehrlein ploughed into the back of the McLaren, ending the races of both men.

Wehrlein felt he had been in a strong position after starting 16th following his stellar performance on Saturday, matching his best qualifying performance of the season.

"I was really unlucky," Wehrlein said after the race. "In Turn 5 the two drivers in front of me were fighting for position, braking late, missing the line, so I tried to overtake them into Turn 6 on the outside. Then, both came back on the line and when I saw that I wanted to brake and move to the inside but I couldn't avoid the crash.

"I'm really unhappy about it but that is what can happen on the first lap when you're starting in the midfield; that part I can't complain about and that's where I want us to be starting next time in Monza."

Though Button felt like a good finish was up for grabs, especially considering the chaos that followed the opening lap, he had a philosophical outlook to the incident.

"It happens, I've been around long enough to know that, so it was an early bath," the McLaren driver said.