Jenson Button

[FB]

Just nosing around the F1 Rejects website which always carries some interesting and amusing articles and noticed that Jenson Button has beeen voted their Reject of the Year 2008. I'm not a big Jenson fan but I feel this is perhaps a little harsh given the dog of car he was given this year, that said I got the impression he gave up long before the team gave up on the car.

http://www.f1rejects.com/main.html

Although only 28 Jenson has already raced in 155 Grand Prix with 1 win, 3 poles and has scored 232 points, quite a crebitable performance given Schumacher's dominance during Button's career. If Honda do fold is Jenson likely to be given a chance in the last seat available at Torro Rosso or, if this falls through, does anyone see Jenson coming back in 2010?

 

[Speshal]

I like Jenson but I'm afraid he'll go down in history as a nearly man a good driver, but unfortunately not one of the greats.

His career could have been so much more fruitful but bad decisions, bad management (contractual wranglings etc etc.) bad luck and wrong timing (i.e Schumacher's dominance) have robbed him of his WDC chance I feel.

Be nice to see him on the grid in 09 tho. But if he doesn't I very much doubt we'll see him in 2010. I'd love to see him in Touring cars

 

[teabagyokel]

Reject of the Year

Since he succeeds his own team Honda as Reject of the Year in 2007 and Takuma Sato of BAR-Honda in 2005 as Reject of the Year, the Honda team have secured this "title" in 3 of the last 4 years with a driver or team. I think this may be why they're pulling out of F1... Jenson Button was the inaugral winner of the award in 2001! Button is one of those drivers who has that knack of being in the wrong car at the wrong time! Lets face it, Honda? What has gone on there? They looked like the form team at the rear end of 2006! They've done all environmentallists a major disservice over the last two years by displaying that green cars are crap! Jenson has to hope he can resurrect his career at STR... The British press have their World Champion, its going to be a hard slog for Button from hereon in if he wants a shot at the WDC!

 

[Brogan]

I'd be inclined to agree with everyone else.

Bad decisions taken at the wrong time have all but wrecked his career.
I bet he's now rueing his decision to buy himself out of his Williams contract.

On top of that he finished behind Rubens, a driver most people said would be forced to retire after being trounced by Jenson in 2008 due to the lack of TC which whould suit Jenson's style of driving...

I don't think we'll see him in 2009.
I can't see Toro Rosso taking him on.

 

[The Pits]

A good trawl through the archives can be really fun sometimes!!!

 

[Brogan]

Indeed.

For the cost of £1*, Button's career was saved and he even went on to become a WDC.

* I believe that's what Ross Brawn paid for Honda.

 

[Westy]

If Jenson is able to beat Lewis again this season will he finally get the recognition he deserves as a strong driver?

I know Lewis is popular with many, but maybe Jenson was just the better driver this past weekend. Let's congratulate him instead of coming up with excuses for Lewis.

Looking forward to the next race.

Edit: great find by the way

 

[KekeTheKing]

This is a large part of the reason that F1 is so fascinating. Things can change drastically from one season to the next. One race to the next even.

 

[The Pits]

Indeed.

For the cost of £1*, Button's career was saved and he even went on to become a WDC.

* I believe that's what Ross Brawn paid for Honda.

Exactly. It makes you think a little harder about what is "obvious" now, based on a pre hindsight view! As keke says, that's why it is so compelling. Hopefully it will not get too predictable!

 

[RickD]

I can't believe I missed this thread first time around..

 

[FB]

He's proven most/all of us wrong but who would have thought that Button would still be in F1 given the situation Honda at the end of 2008?

 

[KekeTheKing]

Could things have worked out any better for Ross Brawn as well? I guess that's a rhetorical question because no, no they couldn't have.

From the brink of dissolution to flipping a WCC team to Mercedes for a fortune, all while retaining control of the team.

Thanks Super Aguri/Double diffuser/FIA!