Jenson Button - IRL or WEC?

[FW17]

Jenson is a great driver, though might Mclaren might not be the place for him next season.

Would have loved to see him at Lotus in 2015 but that is a closed door now.

If Ron decides the worst and Jenson is without a F1 seat for next year, he has openly spoken about WEC.



Is WEC the best for? Sure he could drive for a works team but is it racing that he would enjoy? or would his fans enjoy?

IRL is a fun open wheel category, he has a few friends there. and competition and racing is sick.
Jenson is good friend of Dario Franchitti who is in a position to get him in Chip Ganassi
Andretti Autosport also has places vacant

JPM was openly welcomed into IRL, no reason why they would not do the same for JB

[WaikeCU]

I believe that Jenson can be the next member in the special club of 'the triple crown of motorsport'.

He has won the Monaco Grand Prix back in 2009 and what makes it special is he's also a World Champion F1 driver. He could follow in the footsteps of Graham Hill. He's a true gentleman's racer, which is what Graham Hill was. The smooth driving style of Jenson suits endurance races too, so 24h of Le Mans would be ideal for him. I also think Honda can help him win Indy 500 someday.

[Skeeter]

If I ran a WEC team I would be pushing hard to get Button. His consistency, driving style, and most of all his fitness would be massive assets to an endurance racing team.

[noel]

if dennis is really on his way out yet again, there's a good chance honda will keep him. i honestly have no idea who could be a better development AND racing driver for them - i'm not even sure there's another one like him in the whole world.

[lebesset]

maybe you should have be a third option ...stays at big mac !
word is his manager talked to ron after the race on sunday , and jenson joined the meeting

[FW17]

The bias against the american series is unbelievable. I bet if i had this same poll in 1992 abt mansel the results would have been same.

[Sebp]

The bias against the american series is unbelievable. I bet if i had this same poll in 1992 abt mansel the results would have been same.

Have you had a look at modern Indycars lately? They are so ugly I'd even be embarrassed to drive one in PC game.

Mansell's '93 car was awesome:






Modern Indycar for comparison:




Ergo to save face and to challenge himself properly (ovals don't cut it imo) Button should try WEC if he doesn't get an F1 seat next year.

[FW17]

Does it matter what the cars look like?

IRL cars are fast fun to drive, racing is close and the opposition is serious and no pushover. Drives are also paid for their winnings at races.

In comparison WEC races are a drab; has anyone sat through a 6hr race?

[Sebp]

Having been to the 24 hours of Le Mans a couple of times I can assure you that long races are by no means boring to watch.

On the other hand I've sat through the Indy 500 on tele whenever I've had the time in recent years. I must say I was thoroughly annoyed by all the cautions and adverts every other minute. All to the point that I had to find something else to do on the side to not fall asleep.

[FW17]

Cautions are unavoidable on ovals

the last indy 500 had the first 140 laps or so green flag racing with no cautions

IRL is a big risk for JB or any other F1 drivers reputation; just look at Rubens Barrichello's epic fail

[1158]

I must say I loved the old CART series but I just can't watch IRL. Used to watch IRL prior to the new car but the thing is such an eyesore. I realize it's personal opinion but the new cars just don't look right. To me they look bloated and ill proportioned. Makes me think of this:



At least IRL cars are rear hippoed.

Seriously I hope JB stays at McLaren but if not I would enjoy seeing him in WEC. Wish we got to see more WEC here in the states.

[Pierce89]

Well the IRL shut down in 2008, so if its an either/or proposition, I'd say WEC. The ICS, on the other hand, could be a possibility. I'm pretty sure no one on this forum knows what the cars look like, because next year, anyone willing to sell a new aero kit for $70,000 a pop can do so.

[FW17]

F1: Jean-Eric Vergne eyes IndyCar switch​

Jean-Eric Vergne and Toro Rosso confirmed their split after three seasons on Nov. 26, and the 24-year-old Frenchman wasted little time declaring his interest on where he’d like to race in 2015.

“I would be really interest in racing in America in IndyCar; I think it’s a great championship,” he told RACER. “I’m working with a manager who works with a few drivers in America, Julian Jakobi, and at the moment, it seems like it is quite hard to go to a top team right away, but I am very interested to see what type of seats are available.”

Although JEV’s tenure at Toro Rosso did not produce the desired promotion to Red Bull Racing, he leaves the team after recording his best season to date, scoring points on seven occasions and a career best 6th-place finish in China on the way to 13th in the standings – one spot behind Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Fighting for the crumbs left behind by F1’s dominant teams, as JEV explains, holds minimal interest going forward. Racing on equal footing, as the Verizon IndyCar Series offers to a greater degree, has motivated the 2010 British Formula 3 champion.

With open seats at the championship-winning Ganassi Racing and Andretti Autosport outfits, another at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, and one at KV Racing, which is led by former Toro Rosso driver Sebastien Bourdais, JEV would appear to have some decent options to pursue.

The discipline of oval racing can be mastered, as many ex-F1 drivers have shown, but the time required to reach a high level of competence varies on the individual. With the majority of IndyCar races held on road and street courses, JEV believes he could deliver for a team at most rounds while getting up to speed on ovals.

“I don’t pretend I would win everything, or have an easy time on the ovals; it’s a lot to learn coming from Europe, but many European drivers have become quite good on ovals with some experience, and with so many road courses and street races, I know I can be very effective,” he noted.

Verge’s also confident he would be an asset as Chevy- and Honda-powered IndyCar teams develop brand-new aero kits that will debut at Round 2 in St. Petersburg next season.

“Testing new aerodynamic pieces, suspension components and everything else is something we do every weekend in Formula 1,” he said. “This is something I enjoy very much; development is very big for the success of the team, the success of the manufacturer, and this is an area I have with a lot of experience.”

Provided he can find the right team and environment, JEV says a move to IndyCar could reignite his career.
“There aren’t so many teams to go to that I can win a championship right away, but this doesn’t stop me from looking and talking to team owners to see if we can do something together,” he added. “I have always loved racing in America, and I have always been very interested in IndyCar. The timing is very good right now to make this happen.”