Jenson Button

Arguably the best ever driver in mixed conditions, all his wins at Mclaren have come in those conditions. His last race win in the dry came at the 2009 Turkish GP.

Button is known for his smooth driving style and is normally seen in must races doing one less stop than his rivals for tyres.

Buttons also know to be a bit of a practical joker and will take part in anything fun.

Since his debut in 2000 Button has won the majority of hearts in this country. But what is your favourite JB win?

Mine has to be Hungaroring 2006, in argubly a midfield team and he won the race in those mixed conditions to take his first win. I can remember James Allen been in tears almost and that was the first race Anthony Davidson ever commentated on.

 

[The Artist.....]

I will say again, on a circuit where overtaking was possible, this strategy would have worked out quite well for Button.

However, this was the Hungaroring, and the strategists seemed to have forgotten this!

 

[Bill Boddy]

It reminded me of Abu Dhabi 2010. It might have worked had there been no other cars on the circuit, but otherwise it was doomed to failure.

 

[Viscount]

I don't think he had a choice but to do a 3 stop after having to stop early the first time as his tyres were going away as he said himself after the race. After that stop he caught up a little to Grosjean but he wasn't putting the lap times that would get him in clear air whenever he stopped next. He may have been able to stay out a few laps longer than he did at his further stops, but being in traffic I highly doubt he would've been able to make his tyres last for a 2 stop after stopping early at the first stop. If he tried to 2 stop he probably would've dropped back like Alonso in Canada.

 

[Bill Boddy]

I haven't seen any reports from Button saying that his tyres were going off, maybe you have a link?

Looking at the FIA timing there is no sign of his lap times going up during any of his stints. In fact most of the time he was pretty well keeping close to Hamilton's times. The only times that he was slower were due to the traffic he was put in by McLaren.

 

[Viscount]

From the FIA site: “We stopped early the first time because the rear tyres were going, but it was looking all right on second set of tyres, it wasn’t so bad."

After the front 3 cars had all done their first stop, on lap 20 Button was 4.658 secs behind Grosjean and 8.073 secs behind Hamilton. During that stint both drivers closed up to Hamilton and Grosjean stayed about 1.5 secs behind Hamilton but Button stayed about 5 seconds behind him (5.605 on lap 33 just before his 2nd stop). After he pitted lap 34 he was just 0.489 secs behind Senna on lap 35. If he'd stayed a little closer to Grosjean before the stop he would've come out ahead of Senna in a bit of space behind Webber. Senna's 2nd stop was 7 laps after Button's so even if he had stayed ot a bit longer after the first stop, unless he improved his pace he was going to come out in traffic behind Senna for some time.

No idea if he was just saving his tyres in the 2nd stint or couldn't close on Grosjean, but if they'd put him on options at his first stop like Vettel I think he could've fought for the podium on a 3 stop.

 

[RickD]

So, Jenson finally gets the car for his first pole for McLaren, it has taken a while, but when you have the fastest driver over one lap as a team mate, you are going to struggle to get pole.

Well done Jenson..

 

[Hamberg]

Vettel isn't his team mate RickD

 

[sportsman]

Jenson Button has signed to drive alongside Lewis Hamilton in an all-English line-up at McLaren next season.
The world champion's move was announced on Wednesday following news that former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will not race in F1 next year.
Button described leaving the Brawn team for whom he won the title as a "difficult decision".

But the 29-year-old added: "Life is about challenges. Most important of all, it's about challenging yourself."
In new team-mate Hamilton, Button will be competing against a man many regard as the fastest driver in F1.
And while the move leaves McLaren with one of the most exciting driver line-ups, Button is facing arguably the toughest challenge of his career.
He added: "Although I won the World Championship with Brawn GP last year, and I'll never forget that, I was always adamant that I wanted to continue to set myself fresh challenges.
"It has always been our policy to employ the two very best possible drivers," said McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh.
"In Jenson and Lewis, we feel we not only have the fastest pairing on the 2010 grid but also the two most complete, professional and dedicated drivers in Formula One.
"I want to make clear that Jenson's decision to join us was in no way motivated by money. We'll be paying him no more than he could be getting elsewhere."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8363892.stm

 

[Il_leone]

Button wanted to prove a point because he had plenty of critics and most them said put him alongside Lewis Hamilton he would have been thrashed

Whatever happens he will go down as the first teammate Hamilton has lost to and strange it appears drive Hamilton out of Mclaren possibly?! I did not think that was coming

 

[Mephistopheles]

I think that some Lewis fans have always been rattled by the fact that Lewis has not comprehensibly beaten Jenson I don't think they can understand why this has happened and so come up with a multitude of excuses to try and explain it, but what some of them will never understand is that Jenson is a great driver, and is at worst an equal to Lewis and on occasions better that him, just as on occasions Lewis is better than Jenson, they have equal talent.

Please do not get upset by my post it is not a dig at Lewis it is simply the truth as I see it.....

 

[Incubus]

I am extremely upset at your post. In fact I think you're having a dig at humanity as a whole with your scandalous comment. How could you?....

 

[Mephistopheles]

Incubus your irony is not lost on me...

 

[F1ang-o]

Jackie Stewart back in 2009 was also adamant that would be foolish for Button to join McLaren... Make of that what you will.

IMO ............JB should have taken his advice...............though not for the reasons he gave.

 

[The Artist.....]

IMO ............JB should have taken his advice...............though not for the reasons he gave.

Why do you think that JB shouldn't have chosen McLaren then?

 

[ExtremeNinja]

I think that some Lewis fans have always been rattled by the fact that Lewis has not comprehensibly beaten Jenson

I'm not going to wade in with excuses for Lewis, but Lewis surely has comprehensibly beaten Jenson. I think it's very clear that Lewis beat himself last year and that given Lewis' "worst season" in comparison to Jenson's "best season" the comparison is unfair and is skewed in Jenson's favour.

Jenson is an oddball. If I were a team manager at the front of the grid, I would really struggle to know what to do with Jenson. I wouldn't want him as my number one driver, as there are three better drivers out there. If I had one of the top three I wouldn't want Jenson as my number two either, simply because he is not a number two driver.

I would have liked to have seen Jenson stay at Mercedes. I think that Jenson's joining McLaren has been to the detriment of McLaren, Mercedes and to Hamilton. Clearly it's been great for him, but I fail to see how it has benefited anyone else.

 

[The Pits]

Could I ask what you believe McLaren could have won without him? And what Mercedes would have drone with him?

 

[ExtremeNinja]

You just did. I won't answer though, because I couldn't possibly without spouting a load of speculation about what could have been, etc.

What I will say is that this is more a comment on the way that McLaren go about trying to win championships than it is about the quality of either of the drivers.

 

[Mephistopheles]

That's what I thought you meant ExtremeNinja but I'm glad you are not a team manager....

 

[ExtremeNinja]

What an odd thing to say. I'd rather be a racing driver, anyway. One with a nice subservient no.2 driver backing me up.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Well if you were team manager Jenson wouldn't be driving for McLaren so I'm glad your not...