Irvine: Button is going to get murdered at McLaren

I agree, but you forgot to mention Massa in your case

Also, i don't think the 2009 Mclaren handled as bad as the 2007 & 2008 Honda, to be fair. The Mclaren was bad, but nowhere near as bad as Honda were in those 2 years i mentioned.

 

You have got to be kidding. This business of LH not being able to develop a car has to stop. considering the McLaren got fast towards the latter half of the year due to development what does that say for JB? That he undevelops a car as the season goes along?

Button is going to be a more consistent driver than Heikki was but I suspect not much or any faster than Heikki was on a good day.

 

What are you talking about? Vettel can win in an inferior car.

He won in an STR, which is probably the most impressive thing since the Fisi win in a Jordan in 03.

 

Car development last year was nil via the driver. Limited to NO testing. The straight line tests were all anyone could get so most of it was done via wind tunnel, engineering/software etc. In the big scheme of things driver inputs is being minimized.

 

That is why Mclaren brought a ton of new equipment on FP1 and FP2. The fact there was very little test makes it all the more impressive...

 

Yes impressive. Mclaren surged. The harmony there is good for now. I see them as the fave. They have a great chassis, good drivers, ended the year strongly. I think like last year, we will see testing a good harbinger of things to come.

 

The fact that Vettel thrives in the rain is EXACTLY what makes him a top line driver.

Wet conditions are what separates the men from the boys in F1...anyone can drive fast on the dry on a grippy surface...very few in the wet in slick conditioins...

One of the defining characteristics of great driver's is their superior performance in the wet (except for Prost): Senna, Schumacher, Gilles come instantly to mind. Still brings to my mind when Gilles was lapping ELEVEN SECONDS FASTER than anyone else in the rain (forget which session it was, Scheckter was incredulous)...

Vettel is greatness in the making. For him to win in a backmarker car at Monza was one of the great victories of recent times. That was an incredible achievement and was universally acknowledged as such by the cogniscenti.

Frank

 

+1000

 

Button: Doubters will make the job easier for me
Friday 8th January 2010 - PlanetF1.com

Jenson Button firmly believes he and Michael Schumacher will defy their critics this season.


Button ploughed his way through the snow and ice to pay his first official visit to the McLaren Technology Centre since joining the Woking-based team at the start of the year.

Taking the first steps to defending the World title he won last year, Button had a seat fitting and spent time in the simulator.

Button now has just over two months to the start of the new season to acquaint himself with a new team and to prepare himself for the challenge of going up against a new team-mate in Lewis Hamilton.

There are many, including doyens of the sport such as Sir Jackie Stewart, who have derided Button's decision to join McLaren, in particular for going head to head with a driver who is ingrained into the team.

This week former Ferrari star Eddie Irvine claimed Button "will be murdered"' by 2008 World Champion Hamilton, who is effectively de facto number one at McLaren, even if the team categorically state otherwise.

Yet far from being irritated or annoyed by the jibes when a wheel has yet to turn in anger, Button is cool and calm, believing such comments actually work in his favour.

"It makes my life a lot easier because I'm in a much more relaxed position than people telling me I'm going to destroy my team-mate," said Button.

"I can just focus on doing the best job I can and getting the best out of myself and the best out of the team.

"In a way, I don't think it's a negative. Maybe it's a positive. It helps you relax and focus on doing the important stuff.

"For me, it's to concentrate on improving the car and improving myself, and I'm not one for answering back, there's no point.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I might not agree with it, but everyone is entitled to it.

"The important thing is I'm confident in my ability, so I don't feel I need to prove anything to anyone.

"I am here initially for myself and also for McLaren. People's comments don't change anything.

"The only way anything will be changed is on the circuit this season."

Button insists despite winning the title just over two months ago, his motivation to retain it is extraordinarily high, primarily due to breaking away from Brawn GP where he has spent the last seven years in its various guises.

In his seat at the team that has since been taken over by Mercedes has stepped seven-times Champion Schumacher after a three-year hiatus.

Encouraged by the man who helped him to those titles, and who was the guiding light behind Button's success, Schumacher joins forces again with team principal Ross Brawn.

Yet at the age of 41 there are those who doubt Schumacher will be the same driver as he was in his early 30s when he swept all aside during his time at Ferrari.

Button, however, is fully expecting Schumacher to be on the pace from the word go when the curtain raises on the first race in Bahrain in mid-March.

"First of all I think his return is amazing for the sport," assessed Button, who turns 30 in 11 days' time.

"Having four World Champions racing (Fernando Alonso included), and one of them who has achieved more than anyone else in the sport, is great.

"It's an unusual decision by Michael, but he's obviously got his reasons, having three years out of the sport and coming back in.

"I think it's really good, and you have to say fair play to Ross for getting him on board.

"I don't think there are many team principals or owners that would be able to get Michael in their car.

"So it's great having him back on the grid, and I look forward to the challenge this year with him.

"I'm sure it's going to take a couple of tests for him to get back in the groove, but he'll be there for the first race, I know that for certain."

 

A very classy statement from Button.

Instead of getting into an exchange of trash talk, he has taken the high road.

Good on him.

 

he must have a handler that has helped him prepare these statements.

 

Jensen is a class act and I look forward to seing how the season unfolds for a lot of teams. It seems the predictions for next year are quite polarized and time will make it's shares of hero's and zero's. It should be fun watch and I'm stocking up popcorn now.

 

+100

 

Funny to look back on this thread. For myself, Button has been the pleasant surprise of the season.

 

Wrong answer!

 

The season's not over yet

 

Yes, I also feel the same way. Button has not at all come off as second fiddle to anybody. Brawn wanted to keep him at MB, LH had an idea the Brawn/MB car would not be up to the competition. He was correct. He has demonstrated he deserved the WDC last year. Button is only 3 points behind of Hamilton after Japan, and has not made the same stupid mistakes as Hamilton. At this point, he is LH's equal.

 

I was pleasantly surprised about Button. I thought going against an aggressive hamilton in "his" team that he'd be done for.

 

I thought JB left Brawn due to salary negotiations. If so, I don't see why going to McLaren was a bad idea if he got paid more there.

 

I would not say that Button has been "murdered", but i would say as a whole he has been comprehensively out performed.

The points standings don't tell the whole story, here is some other stats to mull over;

Out-qualified - Hamilton 11 v Button 5
Average qualifying positions - Hamilton 5.19 v Button 6.88.
Race laps completed - Hamilton 820 laps 86.5% v Button 842 laps 88.8%
Wins - Hamilton 3 v Button 2
Poles - Hamilton 1 v Button 0
Fast laps - Hamilton 4 v Button 1
Points - Hamilton 192 v Button 182
DNF - Hamilton 4 v Button 2

Races where both drivers completed full race distance - Hamilton 7 v Button 3 (Without Hamilton's Gear box issues in Japan it would of been 8 v 2)

 

I think both drivers complement each other perfectly, in a way that i cant think of any other driver pairing doing. And both genuinely get along and work together both in and out of the arena.
Being a Brit i am proud of the Maclaren drivers and team. If there was ever an American team with two American drivers cut from the same cloth as Lewis and Jensen, i am sure e majority on here would feel the same.
Cant think of a more perfect pair of drivers, both bringing there own set of great qualities. Lewis for his fierce daring driving style and Jenson for his smooth driving style and calculated decisions. I have noticed a change in both drivers as they fed from each other.

 

+100. Very well put.

McLaren have arguably the best lineup in F1 with 2 WDC caliber drivers that work together instead of against each other.

They are everything that Prost/Senna could have been... you have the classic tortoise/hare combination.

I think many have been pleasantly surprised at how competitive Button has been when matched with Hamilton.

McLaren may be Ferrari's enemy, but I still give them props for having an outstanding driver lineup...

Frank

 

Absolutely. I give a lot of credit to Jensen. He has a maturity demonstrated by his race craft that is rare in today's F1. The man has his priorities straight and doesn't let ego or passion get in the way.