Button's F1 Career Thus Far

[captainmorgan]

I'm not on either side of the pro/anti-Button camp. What I have heard is that apparently, the Honda/Old BAR team worship him, and I'd like to know why.

I during a race, I forget which, when Button's helmet was loose, and he drove half the race with the air pressure sucking upwards on the helmet, with the strap choking him at speed. How well did he do during that race?

Also, what other stories have you heard about Button that might explain why Honda love Button so much?

[kkobayash]

I during a race, I forget which, when Button's helmet was loose, and he drove half the race with the air pressure sucking upwards on the helmet, with the strap choking him at speed. How well did he do during that race?

Also, what other stories have you heard about Button that might explain why Honda love Button so much?

i'm pretty sure that was in 2004 at the german gp, Hockenheim. button started that race like 12th or 13th cos of engine change and then i think he finished second (after schumi).

Honda love button for the same reason that Mclaren love Kimi or Renault(Flavio) love Alonso... he's their boy, and they want to make him WDC.


Also, i think alot of the paddock still really don't believe that honda will succeed in F1 this time round, and so it is hard for them to get quality drivers. With Jenson, hes definitely got potential and honda want to keep him. (Although in saying this, they did get Rubens )

[Steven]

Well Jenson is just a good and solid driver, doesn't make a lot of mistakes and so far didn't get beaten up by much of his teammates. I reckon JV came closest to that, however he suffered lots of mechanical failures that year, making Button look better.

Furthermore he is interesting for the media, as he is quite nice and looks good. He was also immediately quite impressive in his rookie year at Williams, so there are a lot of reasons for Honda to like him

[Scuderia_Russ]

The thing with J.V. vs Button at B.A.R. was also that Jaques liked to run a long first sting or go one stop less than Button so when he retired (usually before his first stop) he looked like he had been slower all weekend when he was just varrying more fuel.

[DaveKillens]

After watching Button at Malaysia, it is my opinion that as a driver he drove extremely well, near perfect. The driver definitely did his job. The only reason why Honda did not win was because of the car's performance, pitting strategy, and traffic Button encountered during the race.
Jenson did real good, I give him a thumbs up for his performance in Malaysia.

[Principessa]

I think the Button thing was discussed before.

Button is a wonderboy for media and companies looking for a famous face to advertise their products. And I've always seen Button as a talented f1 driver, his only problem is he still hasn't won a GP. After seeing him today in Malaysia, I believe a victory is coming this year for Button.

[joseff]

Button is a wonderboy for media and companies looking for a famous face to advertise their products.

Almost like we're discussing Andre Agassi here... but hey, he made it to world #1 rank eventually.

[Principessa]

Almost like we're discussing Andre Agassi here... but hey, he made it to world #1 rank eventually.

Andre Agassi wasn't really the wonderboy....well he was, but I mean that you can't compare them. I would say that Button is more like Andy Roddick than

[Evolution]

After watching Button at Malaysia, it is my opinion that as a driver he drove extremely well, near perfect. The driver definitely did his job. The only reason why Honda did not win was because of the car's performance, pitting strategy, and traffic Button encountered during the race.
Jenson did real good, I give him a thumbs up for his performance in Malaysia.

I agree, Jenson couldn't of done any better today. He potentially could of got second place ahead of Alonso had Scott Speed not refused to move out of the way. What is it with marshalls so far this season, have they forgotten the blue flag rule!

[Spencifer_Murphy]

Theres no denigning Jenson is fast. But the Honda is is still not uite good enough to give him race winning pace.

BUT fast enough car or not, one question remains for me...

Jenson has always been faster than his team mates...apart from one...Giancarlo Fisichella, who is currently being comprehensively beaten by Fernando (despite his sterling performance in Malaysia...consistently Fernando has had the upper-hand, with a little help from Fisi's poor luck)

On this basis JB still has to prove to me whether he deserves to be rated as highly as the Kimi's, Fernando's or Michaels in this world. In fact I still feel he has to prove if he's as good as Fisico or JPM, or even Rubens.

[Ciro Pabón]

Why Honda thinks Button is superb? I do not know. Let me think...

Could it be that this is the same guy that won all the 34 races in the 1991 British Comet Kart Championship?

Maybe they are influenced because Jenson is the youngest winner of the european Super A championship?

Could they be partialized by him being the winner of the Formula Ford championship immediately after karting?

I am not sure. Probably it is because he is a pretty boy... Hey, they should choose me. I am handsomer than Jenson Alexander Lyons Button.

Do you want someone to pity? I would chose Rubens...

[m3_lover]

I stick to my point that, no other teammate has won a race with the cars that button has raced. Williams, Renault and Bar, if Rubens won a race this year and Jenson did not, then I say that he is not the #1 man for Honda. All he needs is a competitive car. He was close in the German GP but Ferrari just beat them bastards ahhaha j.k

[Spencifer_Murphy]

VERY good piont. Even at bennetton in 2001 with Fisi, Fisi may have gotten a podium (or two? I dont know) but that car was a real dog, and neither of them won with it.

But i still think Jens has a little to prove, I hope his faith in Honda doesnt become his undoing, because theres no denigning he has some serious talent...the question is...how MUCH talent? Are we talking Fernando & Kimi, or Sato & Raflie?

[Ciro Pabón]

I smile faintly every time somebody doubts if X or Y is a good pilot. I have to confess it: I love all of them, pilots. Every one of them. It is easy to forget that they are playing with death (yes, with death) when they race. It has been a long time since the last mortal accident, but it could happen any minute.

And, let me assure you, they do not do it for our entertainement. They race because they have an inner fire, a passion, a skill, that carries them beyond you and me. They are also persistent, brave (in the exact way a "matador" is brave: facing the old reaper), and they put their money where their mouth is. And this is the reason why every mechanic worth of his tools love "his" pilot.

I do not remember the exact phrase, but I think it was Mika Häkkinen who said something like "somewhere in Finland there is a guy working in a farm that could be a better pilot than anyone of us, if only he could get his hands on a racing car. And you know what? He will never get one... "

Old Mika was remarking a very important thing: talent is secondary. It is effort what carries you higher. And I really do not know if Jenson Button is doing his best effort. Even if Kimi seems to be as good a party-goer as him (mmmm... could it have some influence in Kimi's "bad luck"?). You bet Michael Schumacher excels at this: he really tries hard. The car he got when he entered Ferrari had not won a race, either.

So, I do not know if Button is a "better" pilot than Schumacher (he could be) or if Sato is crazier than Senna (he could not be). I simply love them. All of them. Even Ide, even Gastón Mazzacane. That is why I love racing: not because of the cars or the circuits or the engines. I love racing because of the pilots. Please, treat them gently, at least in my pressence... I am "an old fart" as Manchild said, and at my age and with my temper, you could give me a heart failure with those comments. And, what is worse, I can rant for ages and put really long posts, like this one. I can only agree with this kind of comments if they come from someone like Jacques Villeneuve.

This does not mean I cannot make fun of some of those guys. To cite myself in other thread :

"despair do not, my young padawans! His victory JB will get after the 100th race, he will. I have seen it... in my dreams."

[Spencifer_Murphy]

smile faintly every time somebody doubts if X or Y is a good pilot. I have to confess it: I love all of them, pilots. Every one of them

Oh dont get me wrong, I dont think any of the drivers in F1 are "bad" they all can drive a car a lot quicker than the vast majority of us. They have some serious skill. I just believe others (eg Michael) have more skill than some others (eg Sato). But its like any sport, having an interest in the sport means that you start wondering about one or the other's strengths & weakenesses.

I simply love them. All of them. Even Ide, even Gastón Mazzacane.

I totally agree...with the exception of Ralf!