Jenson set to sign new McLaren Deal. Is Jenson or McLaren the biggest winner ?

[Cookinflatsix]

Oh how this made me laugh. Jenson good at contract negotiation?

He hasn't done badly out of the financial side of negotiations though has he?

That was the point.

He wasn't stuck at Honda, he could have moved to a team with better chances but cut himself a very sweet financial deal and stayed on at Honda who were probably the richest team at the time

 

[Pyrope]

I'm not at all sure I remember any serious rumours about him moving away from Honda during the whole time he was there, that's pretty unusual. Mind you, the story of Toyota and Honda's involvements in F1 was of paying well over the odds for second-rate results...

 

[Pyrope]

I remain to be convinced that Ferrari would ever seriously be interested in Jenson. If you want an older, reliable, consistent partner for Fernando then the obvious choice is Webber. As far as I can see, Jenson's past decisions were based almost entirely on a combination of who was offering more money at the time coupled to what was available. He doesn't seem to have ever considered developing a real championship-orientated career.

 

[teabagyokel]

He doesn't seem to have ever considered developing a real championship-orientated career.

Can you explain what you would have done differently in JB's career to develop a "Championship-oriented career"?

 

[Pyrope]

Well, sitting tight at Honda and not aggressively pursuing a McLaren drive once it became clear that Fernando was leaving would have been a start, or toning down the playboy stuff and keeping Frank sweet, which would have helped him stick around with Williams when they were still a race-winning outfit. Ditto his time at Benetton, which could have had him as team mate to Fernando if he had applied himself. Briatore was surprisingly strident in his public views of Jenson's work rate, considering that Jenson was still driving for him!

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

I don't know what Pyrope will say but Jenson kinda shot himself in the foot a little bit by being too much of a playboy/play boy and not enough of a serious and focused Grand Prix driver...and being over-shadowed by Fisichella. That did some damage because I don't think some managers took him seriously enough to seriously rate him. Over to Pyrope...

 

[Pyrope]

I don't know what Pyrope will say but Jenson kinda shot himself in the foot a little bit by being too much of a playboy/play boy and not enough of a serious and focused Grand Prix driver...and being over-shadowed by Fisichella. That did some damage because I don't think some managers took him seriously enough to seriously rate him. Over to Pyrope...

It's like you read my mind...

 

[MCLS]

Sitting tight at Honda won him the championship.

 

[teabagyokel]

He wasn't going to get a seat at Williams until 2005 by which point they were as midfield as BAR. I don't believe that either he could have won a World Championship as a team-mate to Briatore's own favourite Fernando, nor that he'd have been at Renault when they had a winning car.

I strongly suspect that McLaren job was out of his reach too; and anyway Honda had just brought in Ross Brawn!

 

[Pyrope]

Sitting tight at Honda won him the championship.

...eventually.

He wasn't going to get a seat at Williams until 2005 by which point they were as midfield as BAR.

That was my point. At the time he tried to move BAR were moving up and Williams were moving down, so to try and switch from one to the other was very odd indeed.

 

[The Pits]

I thought that frank Williams wanted him back at Williams, but he did not want to go?

As I recall he was contracted to Williams at the time, and in the end he brought himself out of that contract to drive for the up and coming Honda team.

 

[teabagyokel]

I thought that frank Williams wanted him back at Williams, but he did not want to go?

As I recall he was contracted to Williams at the time, and in the end he brought himself out of that contract to drive for the up and coming Honda team.

Not a move that I would expect of someone trying to enrich himself is buying his way out of a contract...

 

[Pyrope]

Are you referring to 2002 or 2005? In 2002 JB was under option from Williams (who were still winning) but decided to pay a lot of money to stay with the midfield Renault team, and in 2005 (when Williams were starting to suffer) he was the one that wanted to move and the FIA said no.

 

[The Pits]

I seem to have got a little confused.

Button brought out his contract with Williams in 2006, after the famous wranglings between him and williams over the previous few years. The CRB dispute was the result of him signing for Williams, whilst under contract to BAR, as a result of this, it would appear that he sacked his manager.

I am not sure about him paying a lot of money to stay with renault, my understanding was that he was loaned to Benneton/Renault by williams, who had the right to recall him in 2003, he was moved out of Renault to BAR when Flav wanted Alonso in the Renault.

From then, he stayed with Honda, possibly against other peoples advice and thoughts, although it turned out for the best, and I suppose you could not blame him for doing so with his history!

As for the subject in hand, I think that this is a good move for the team, and for Jenson. A bit of stability is good both from a driving and a team perspective. He has won races, and will win more. I also think that with what is potentially available to the team, I feel that he is about the best partner to Lewis.

 

[Pyrope]

Button brought out his contract with Williams in 2006, after the famous wranglings between him and williams over the previous few years. The CRB dispute was the result of him signing for Williams, whilst under contract to BAR, as a result of this, it would appear that he sacked his manager.

Might be me that's confused, of course! Probably is...

 

[The Pits]

I think we are possibly both confused...... I am sure that one of the good folk here will help set it all straight again!

Personally, his early contract situation was poor, after that I think he was a little wary, then after the WDC, he felt like he could put himself out there again. It certainly was the right decision to leave Brawn/Mercedes when he did, I do not think he could have done in Mercedes what he has at Mclaren. Hopefully, he will agree to the deal and stay there.

 

[Pyrope]

Seems like a fair summary.