Button: Time for a new challenge
November 19, 2009 by SJ Skid
Filed under People & Events
Jenson Button spoke today to Radio Five Live [which helpfully doesn't seem to have a link to the interview or any coverage at its site], and he said he made the switch to McLaren to take on a new challenge, that he actually is going to be making less than had he stayed with Mercedes and that Brawn/Mercedes did all it could to keep him.
Here are the central quotes, courtesy Autosport since Five Live isn’t making it easy to send traffic its way:
“I’m very excited,” Button told Radio 5 Live. “The season just gone has been a very special one. Since I’ve been with Brawn, our aim was always to win the title, and it’s exactly what we did, so it wasn’t an easy decision to make to leave.
“I spent so long there through the BAR and Honda years, and it’s been a real emotional rollercoaster since then. It’s just something I needed to do at this point in my life.
“It was 100 per cent my choice. For me, the move is because it’s going to be a huge challenge to go up against Lewis in his environment. My goal since I was eight years old has been to win the world title, and I’ve done that now. Now I feel I need a new challenge.”
[snip]
“No. I’m earning less than I would have at Brawn. I didn’t move for money and everyone knows it. It’s something new for me. I’ll have to work very hard in the new situation I’ve put myself in, and I intend to do it.
“Of course it’s not going to be easy, but I’m very excited about the challenge. I’ve got to work very hard to achieve what I want to achieve.”
[snip]
“Yes they did [do everything to keep him]. We had a very good relationship, especially with Ross. I couldn’t have done it without him. It’s been a real team effort. For most people the normal progression is to stay with the team. For me though, this is exciting. It’s what I need right now.”
[snip]
“It’s going to be a different relationship, of course, because I’m not in the team any more. We’re not fighting for the title any more. We’ve achieved that. Instead I’m going to be a rival of Mercedes Grand Prix. We’ll still have a good relationship though. We’ve been through a lot together. ”
[snip]
“I was excited, but there was a lot to think about because I’d been with Brawn for seven years. On an emotional side there was definitely lots to think about.
“The challenge of going up against Lewis in his environment was a challenge. Tough, but a challenge. For me, I achieved everything I wanted to with Brawn with winning the title in ‘09 and I’m looking for new challenges. At this point in my career it’s an exciting opportunity that I’m going to take.”
I’m just going to come right out and say this: I’m extremely skeptical about what Button says. The comments just don’t ring true to me. Who wins one championship and then looks to other challenges? Isn’t the challenge defending that title and becoming a multiple winner?
Something isn’t adding up for me. The fact he says he’ll be earning less is a strange quirk, as well.
Perhaps he thinks Brawn/Mercedes can’t field a competitive car next year? [Is so, can we start writing off the Kimi rumors?] He would have a sense of that, certainly. But he wouldn’t be able to judge how much assistance and development Mercedes would add.
The move just isn’t making sense to me. I have to think there is something else we haven’t learned.
Any ideas? Or am I making too much of this? Is it simply he thinks he has a better chance to win at McLaren?
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I agree with your sentiment SJ. If everything were rosy, Button wouldn’t be looking for a new challenge. Certainly not one called Lewis Hamilton. I mean, who goes around looking for a bloody nose if they don’t have to?
No, I still think it’s to do with Brawn’s/Mercedes’ contract dithering, which was a slap in Button’s furry face, however you look at it. But, perhaps more importantly, it was also about his status within the Mercedes’ team and how it would affect what’s left of his career. I really believe this has a lot to do with Merc getting a bit patriotic — getting all German with the branding and drivers — and there’s no future for Button in that.
…can’t field a competitive car? If that is truely his thought process, I need to understand by what logic one would estimate that Brawn/Mercedes is not going to have a VERY strong car next year. As of now, you would have to say that they are the car to bank on. Most of the focus has been on the double diffuser, and while its been mentioned here as well as by Brawn himself, not a lot has been made of the fact that they tore the engine and trans out of that car weeks before the first race and swapped it with, what was clearly superior equipment, but equipment the car was not designed for none-the-less. McLaren’s resurgence at the end of the year was impressive, but if Brawn really stopped development to work on the 2010 car and now he has a car designed around the Merc lump and trans and the Merc bank roll to complete it…are you kidding?…that car is going to be VERY VERY good…bet on it. Jenson will probably not be able to out perform Nico in the Merc let alone Lewis Hamilton in an “equal” car.
The quote that stand out to me is this one:
“I spent so long there through the BAR and Honda years, and it’s been a real emotional rollercoaster since then. It’s just something I needed to do at this point in my life.”
I see where he is coming from, after staying so long at one team, achieving his life goal of being WDC, what else does he have left?
The McLaren challenge is probably the best move for Button, I just wish he chose another team rather than my McLaren.
I think that Brawn /Mercedes would not offer him more than one year and McLaren are offering him the three. He was probably sure that Mercedes would not keep him on after one year. I also think he can see huge commercial opportunities for him and Lewis teaming up together with a British team.
And bear in mind if Lewis beats him in races, everyone is expecting that anyway, if Rosberg was to start beating him regularly then people would be much harder on him.