RD1’s views on Jenson Button. Again.
November 20, 2009 by Grace
Filed under Parc Fermé, Redoubtable by Grace, Top Story
It’s Friday in the Nation’s capitol which means it’s time for me to actually get work done because it’s the only day I’m not in eight hundred meetings and pre-meetings… oh wait I think it actually means that it’s time for your weekly dose of RD1. Yes it’s week two of my new resolution to get a weekly column out to you on time and so far things are looking up.
However, before I begin I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for reading and commenting on last week’s column. I’ll do my best to get some of your suggestion into the column although the only one I can promise with any sort of certainty is the one about how I got into F1 because that one is pretty easy to write. Although it’s really your typical boy meets girl, boy introduces girl to Formula 1, and then leaves girl for Danica Patrick. Okay so maybe that last bit didn’t quite happen but I figured I needed something to keep Frantic’s attention.
So, with that little bit of business out of the way, let’s get on to the column shall we. This week’s victim… I mean topic is none other than McLaren’s new driver Jenson Button. Buckle your safety belts kids; this is going to be a big one.
First up: Is Jenson Button, or more appropriately his management, completely incapable of leading contract negotiations without totally pissing everyone off?! How hard is this process really? Sure, on the grand scheme of things this transition went off better than the last one but really I just don’t get it. First off, no one thinks you are worth as much as you think you are worth – and that’s with or without the WDC – especially since Toyota is out of the sport. Second, why would you leave Ross Brawn? I am a doubter no more – stupid Jenson. Third, don’t be distracted by the shiny things at Wokings unless one of them is a razor. You need a challenge, you want something new – I think you are at something new but your just got lost on your way back and forgot all about the Brackley based F1 team. Good luck with that.
Second: McLaren. What were you thinking? Sure, I’m am a hundred percent behind getting rid of the Human Paper Shredder but Jenson Button?! Really? And you think this is going to turn out well? I think they just got so swept up in the idea of being a British team with two British world champions that someone over there forgot to engage their brains. This is a bad idea but only the team who thinks they can keep everything even between their drivers would even attempt this. Sure it’s great PR but this is going to be a management nightmare. What happens when Jenson is better or worse than Hamilton? And at least with Hamilton you know he is somewhat loyal – Button – as I just mentioned – seems to be the worst breaker upper on the face of the F1 planet. Good Grief – give me Nick Heidfeld any day. They both need to shave, however, Nick isn’t a giant ego maniac and actually has talent.
And that’s your RD1 for the week. Enjoy.
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I’m sorry, but did you just suggest Nick Heidfeld is a better driver than Jenson Button.
The guy is destined to by the most average driver in the history of the sport, what good would that do other than to boost Hamilton’s ego with having another team mate to consistently thrash.
At least with button you know he will give it a go, he knows he can beat Hamilton even if the rest of the world doesn’t which means he will have a go. If he fails then at least he can say he tried.
Nick’s best talent is in his nationality, which granted him some year in BMW and now will gift him a mercedes contract..
Really i undertand if somebody loves a driver can has some “dream” but with Nick for me is really difficult.
In his entire career i can’t remember his “high”points where he showed his talent,even with decent cars.. maybe only once he did overtake Alonso, but even Sato did it..
Even Fisi’s seems much more talented, had some victory and a wonderful spa this year but if i think at Heidfeld i can only think about a consistent nr 2. But even in a nr2 classification he’s been overshadowed by Barrichello, the best nr 2 ever….
In my mind Lewis Hamilton is the guy at Macca. Period. If that is the case, then you want a teammate that will help develop Hamilton even further beyond what is currently is, which is terrific. Lewis has a few areas in his driver development that I think only time can teach and the right teammate can help. Car development is a major issue as the reg’s while not changing much, do incorporate a heavy fuel logic and tires will be key as well.
Nick is known for his car feedback and development skills. Many people, including Sir Frank, are on record with that assessment. I think having Nick with Lewis would be very good for Lewis’s development and I think that is what Grace is suggesting.
Is McLaren’s “no facial hair” policy still in force, or did that go out with Ron Dennis? Of all the unknowns waiting to be answered between now and March, the greatest is clearly whether Jenson’s beard will fit the Mclaren Corporate Image. My guess is that he’ll be asking Santa for a razor, and will clean shaven by the new year.
sorry NC, but i have to disagree.. Mclaren did a terrific recovery in his performance this year with Lewis and Kovy, while BMW did not obtained much results in this years with Nick development skills..
I agree with that Nelson DB, and I would add that Macca were my team of the year to be honest. But I think the BMW design, like Ferrari, was committed to a point of no return. Macca and red Bull were able to overhaul the chassis and make it work. Lewis drove the heck out of that car this year but I still think car development is an area that he will grow in and a good mentor would be Nick or another veteran who has a penchant for that skill set. Nick isn’t the only guy who would be a good fit there but he is the guy currently running in F1 that fits the mold.
With the new fueling regs for next year, tire maintenance will be a huge factor in performance. Hamilton has many good qualities, but easy on the tires he’s not. Button (or perhaps it was the Brawn he was driving) was much easier on the equipment.
Assuming these two are equal talents, which I don’t believe, but will concede that sometimes what a person needs is the confidence that comes with a climb to the top, will driving styles separate their performances?
Button will be an interesting head case in the friendly rivalry with his team mate.
And with NH, we are likely to see another season of the car making the driver. Who fills the other seat could really make the grid interesting.
I think Lewis vs. Jenson will come down to tires.
Not that a selection or rubber similar to this years will have JB beating Lewis, but it would make for a much closer contest.
The bad news for Jenson then, is that Bridgstone’s tires have alternated between softer and harder for the past few years, making 2010 a year of durable (of not outright grippy) compounds. I do not anticipate soft compounds that only Mr Button can make last for more than 10 laps in the next season.
Then again, F1 may be conspiring to shoot down my theories (again: I never would have thought Macca would go for two drivers of the same nationality in the first place).
According to Jense on 5 Live, he likes a balanced car while Lewis like it on the nose (oversteer). The question was put to him about how McLaren would handle two different driving styles and Jense bowed out of that question gracefully. the fact still remains, they are different drivers and different styles. Who will the car favor.
BMW was a good example of how one year if favored Nick’s style and the very next year it was Kubica’s kind of car.
1. Is anyone seriously suggesting that Heidfeld, Glock, Sutil et al are significantly better than Button? I happen to think he’s definitely better, but even assuming they are all much of a muchness then Button brings in an actual championship and a lot more sponsorship than the others would, so fair play to McLaren. Even if they’d brought in Kimi, he would have cost stupid money and he’s hardly a hit with the sponsors.
2. Jenson may not have been the best at choosing the right team at the right time in the past, I grant you. But he’s decided that he thinks he can compete with Lewis even though most “experts” disagree. I will wait before I judge, but at least it shows guts (or stupidity). He may look stupid and be lagging by 5 10ths, but he obviously thinks he can compete and I look forward to it and hope he’s right.
Next season is looking good just for the McLaren battle, even before we get on to a possible Brawn-Schumi reunion, Alonso in a decent car again (although I think that Smedley’s visor-boy may actually do to Fred what Hamilton did (afterall, Massa is quick, beat Schumi a bit before retirement and is very popular within the garage, even moreso since he drove into a spring)).
In addition, I’d agree with the tire comments above. If you can get decent odds on JB then he’s well worth a punt.
For my part, I am suggesting that Button’s talents and career may be wasted on McLaren. I really hope that’s not the case and that he really shines there but I fear Lewis may have other opinions and he is the teams guy.
I think Nick would be good as a complete package option at Merc and oddly I think he would have been a good case study for Lewis without fear of creating an Alonso situation at the team. Nick is even keeled and more apt to be a part of the team than others.
Timo and Sutil would have been good there for their careers but I am not suggesting that either are better than Button. I just think Button deserves to be at the helm of a competitive team after winning the title. He goes into this team as the #2 already but let’s hope h will raise the game and rise to the challenge he has opted for. He will have to bring a whole different level of skill and determination to beat Lewis and I am just not sure that is in him to do it. Lewis is a high bar to hurdle.
I love the issue that Jenson is finding a new challenge, but I am also saddened that it caused so much dispute.
The Lewis – Jenson and who is the better driver debate? Obviously Lewis is statistically better, he has never had a team mate that has beaten him in F1. Just a year ago Jenson finished the season with 3 points and his over-the-hill team mate 11 points. Split this season in half and in the second half Jenson did not score any wins compared to his same team mate with two wins. Jensen is going to have to raise his game to keep the number 1 on his a second season.
It is fairly obvious that next year the two hot contenders are going to be Red Bull and McLaren. As NC has indicated that without the mobilising of cash into Mercedes (nee Brawn) through their selling of McLaren assets they could be suffering financially as their sponsorship folder looks small. Consequently I think they may only be fourth best team (sorry Kimi not prpably good to meet your standards). Ferrari has a lot of catching up, but it also has the resources. Personally, I still hold concerns about Felipe’s condition and potential to resume racing where he left off which was in the words of Joe Saward in reference to his team mate Kimi “been blown away for the last two years by Felipe Massa”. If Felipe is not fit enough and Kimi does not have an F1 seat next year would/could they draft the Iceman back in at Ferrari – if the car could win races it is possible.
At least there are two others who respect Nick as a driver (Grace I did not know you were one). I am always saddened when people trash a driver who has a good record of being better than their team mate like Nick against his team mates (which include Kimi, Felipe, Mark, JV and for 2 out of three years Robert).
As far as not seeing “improvement” in the BMW Sauber over the season – in the first 10 races they only got into the points on three occasions (one was the “lucky” Sepang podium). In the last seven races they got into the points on EACH occasion. Nick was unlucky at Singapore (with the grid penalty and Sutil incident), Japan where a rear wheel nut caused a 6 second longer pit stop (he would have been 4th otherwise) and Brazil where eight positions were gained within the first 20 laps (at least 4 would been overtakes) and he was lapping 0.3 second faster than Vettel. But those are the ifs, factually he scored points on four occasions in the last 7 races.
I’m really interested to see how this pairing will turn out. I’m thinking by the end of the season Jens will wish he would have stayed put. Maybe for the first race or two they’ll be treated equal, but if Jens is not right up there with Lewis, the team will focus on Lewis.
P.S. Grace, thanks for keeping your column short. No offense to the others, but sometimes I just look at the other columns and don’t feel like reading that much!
I think you could make the second car radio controlled and have Pedro DeLaEmail drive it from the pit lane because so long as Lewis is number 1 the second driver is not relevant except to score points..which sadly Heikki could not do. Heidfeld will wisely got Brawn where he may actually matter. Jenson made a dumb move going to Macca and not sticking with Brawn because with Brawn he had at least the opportunity to be number 1 driver and could have finished his career on a high note.
Grace – On topic of Loyalty –
a) Did you forget that Lewis/his Dad were two timing with Ron Dennis end of 2005 start of 2006 season. While Ron wanted Lewis to continue in Junior Formulae. The father-son duo entered talks with Williams, I suspect this move must have been instigated by Lewis’s “Very Close” Friend certain Nico Rosberg being announced as F1 driver for 2006 season by grove based team. If BMW had nibbled the bait, Lewis would have made debut with Williams and not McLaren
b) How is the public memory so short. If Lewis was Man enough and owned his letting Jarno pass story, Loyal Lewis rather preferred to through his manager and Ron under the bus. And does anyone remember his “sulky” interviews for quite sometime after that, where he was not committing anything to McLaren.
From his Williams-BAR-Williams-Honda Saga, I suspect, Button will be more loyal to McLaren than Lewis. The question is will McLaren pay him in kind, and how will Lewis Camp react, if Jenson develops good rapport with McLaren Management and starts delivering the goods?