Should Button Race?

[neilap]

This Aritcle suggests he may still not be 100 percent.

[Adam43]

How on earth should we know! We are even less likely to know than all the random unconnected people that ITV asked at the last race

If he is fit he will, if not he won't!

[ASCII Man]

Thanks for the third option, neilap!

[Jay]

#3, unless you're Jensen's doctor you have no idea if he's ready or not... And frankly, I could careless if he was driving the car... in fact, I'd rather see Sato get a shot.

[BootsOntheSide]

Button at 95% fit would still be a better bet than Sato at 100%. Unless he's really struggling, he should race.

[rmorfei]

Button is a loose cannon. Although he has the skills to do well, he does not appear to have the temperment required to keep himself under control.
He appears to be racing only against Villeneuve and not against the other teams.
Wanting the championship is fine but never at the expense of the team.

[NiceGuyEddie]

Originally posted by rmorfei
He appears to be racing only against Villeneuve and not against the other teams.
Wanting the championship is fine but never at the expense of the team.

What a load a ****. No really, we have a winner here. Besides, he is winning against Villeneuve.

The guy should race, B*A*R only hope of a somewhat serious performance, and they know it.

[ASCII Man]

It's not hard winning against Villeneuve when his car is stowed away in the pits because of yet another car failure...

That some people even dare to call that beating him is beyond me.

[BSchneiderFan]

I agree with AdamAshmore. If Jenson's fit, he should drive. If he isn't, he shouldn't. Personally, I think and hope he will be fit and will drive.

[NiceGuyEddie]

Originally posted by ®îjñtjûh
It's not hard winning against Villeneuve when his car is stowed away in the pits because of yet another car failure...

That some people even dare to call that beating him is beyond me.

I can imagine that Villeneuve is grasping at excuses. Villeneuve's car isn't always breaking down, and when it doesn't he usually is trailing Button. A fluke? No, not at all. Quite embarassing for an ex-champ who never had the courtesy or descensy to welcome a new teammate and put every assessement on hold. No no, Button was the F1-equivalent of a boyband-member, in need of actually earning the respect of the Great Jacques Villeneuve. Wasn't it Button who replied on track, wasn't it Button who just two weeks ago opened up about the flaming that Villeneuve started, in order to stop it? Be that as it may, we have had this discussion, but the mere suggestion that Button is only racing against Villeneuve is pure and simple nonsense. If anything, Button has adapt very quickly to a team that is historical molded to the likes and wants of the Great Jacques Villeneuve, so a little respect, from F1-afficionade and from the Great Jacques Villeneuve, is wayyy over do.

[NiceGuyEddie]

Interviewer: "Will the McLaren F1 be your answer to the Ferrari F40?"

Gordon Murray: "Hmm... I don't think we have anyone at McLaren who can weld that badly..."

An F40 isn't welded, it's glued.

[BSchneiderFan]

Don't tell me, tell Gordon Murray. I think he may have been winding Ferrari up somewhat...

[high contrast]

You cant compare how a Ferrari road car is 'hung together' to the way McLaren do things! Absoloutly no comparison! Ferrari's look the part...But McLaren's are aerospace standard.

Back to the thread JB isn't "a loose canon" I know him quiet well, he's fast and smooth and doing his own thing, but he does believe his own media hype. He's in his 4th season of F1, he's a millionaire, he hob nob's with the rich and famous like Robbie Williams...and he has done JV's head in a bit!

JV is his own enemy! to be fair he has only been out qualified by JB because he's gone for the opposite strategy to JB to beat him in the races...but the cars have let him down adding to his frustration. I would guess JBs cocky confidence has bugged him more than his qualifying and luck has.

However...JV is by far the harder man and harder racer of the two!

[Pit_Lane_Babe]

I think that the only person who knows if he's fit enough to drive this weekend is Jenson himself. Surely if he doens't feel up to it he won't drive. For she sheer fact that it will only make things wosre for him later on.
As for Sato getting his drive, wake up, he can't drive for cack. I think before Jenson's crash he proved that he has what it takes, and will get better as the season carrys on

[NiceGuyEddie]

As for Sato getting his drive, wake up, he can't drive for cack.

You sure?

[TeddyG]

Originally posted by NiceGuyEddie
I can imagine that Villeneuve is grasping at excuses. Villeneuve's car isn't always breaking down, and when it doesn't he usually is trailing Button. A fluke? No, not at all. Quite embarassing for an ex-champ who never had the courtesy or descensy to welcome a new teammate and put every assessement on hold. No no, Button was the F1-equivalent of a boyband-member, in need of actually earning the respect of the Great Jacques Villeneuve. Wasn't it Button who replied on track, wasn't it Button who just two weeks ago opened up about the flaming that Villeneuve started, in order to stop it? Be that as it may, we have had this discussion, but the mere suggestion that Button is only racing against Villeneuve is pure and simple nonsense. If anything, Button has adapt very quickly to a team that is historical molded to the likes and wants of the Great Jacques Villeneuve, so a little respect, from F1-afficionade and from the Great Jacques Villeneuve, is wayyy over do.

It was Dave Richards that really started all this "flaming" most likely to generate more press for the team as he knew the often insane British press would eat it up. I think he also feels that tension between the driver's spurs them on to drive faster.
It was DR who upon signing Button claimed that he was the future of BAR and he was the next WDC. This of course was a blatant slap in the face to Jacques a guy who has sacrificed his career for this team and was the one who started it. So naturally people (the press) ask JV how he feels about his "future world champ" teammate and JV responds as A FORMER WORLD CHAMP and says he hasn't seen anything indicating such claims as of yet are true. A fair statement I think as Button doesn't even have a podium yet and has driven some decent cars (Williams, Renault)
All Jacques said was that he'd have to see some better performances before he'd call Button a potential WDC. This twisted up and reformed by the British media comes out as some kind of "I am Lord Villeneuve" statement.

So then there was that. The next "flaming" incident was wholly Button's fault. He went crying off to the (warmly accepting British press) in Australia claiming "Villeneuve pitted on purpose in front of me, just to ruin my race, wahhh, wahhh" Button did this before talking to Jacques or the team about the radio problems JV had.
This led to the "weak" comments JV said about Button, not in relation to his driving skills but because he ran off to the press without consulting him or the team about what had happened.

All other "flaming" incidents are most likely the invention of the British media who love insisting there is a rift between the two. If you need any evidence just look how itv-f1.com portrays Villeneuve, the horrible picture they always use for articles on him, and the brutal twisting of stories which borders on legal "slander". I mean one report (not from British media) tells me that JV was one of the first people to visit Button in hospital to wish him well...while itv-f1 runs the story that all JV said was this could "have a lasting affect on Button" making JV look like all he cares about is that Button's performance would fall off, taking everythig out of context the British media will do all they can to make Jacques look like an ass.

So cheers to Button who "called off" the fighting between the two, what a great guy eh? Nevermind the fact that JV had already said weeks before that there had never been any real problems between the two. But you wouldn't hear about that in the British media, because JV being a good guy doesn't sell...now Button on the other hand

I'm not sure about how well Button has responed on track. He has made some rookie mistakes and should really have much more points than he does.
Bottom line JV has been only able to compeate in 2 of the 7 GP's in Australia he finished 9th Button 10th (both drivers were on the wrong tyres and even if JV "held up" Button there was no way he would have gotten any points anyways.)
In Brazil it was super wet and Button crashed out...JV with his experience and heavier strategy waited it out towards the back and finished 6th (would have been even better had Alonso not red flagged the race)

So based on these two results I don't see how anyone can say Button is beating JV. And don't give me qualifying JV has had to use the t-car (less practice time) so many times and has also almost always gone for a heavier race set-up on Saturday.
Point is if JV ever gets a decent car I am positive that JV will, on average, get the better of Button.

[jetsetter]

If Button's not fit he won't get a clearance so if the doctor passes him fit i'm happy to see him race.

[neilap]

Personally, I feel if there is any question then he should not race. So far there seems to be issues still concerning his readiness. Athletes will never admit that they dont feel 100 percent, they want to race! IMO its a better choice to race Sato that take a chance in him ending his career.

[EERO]

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
I agree with AdamAshmore. If Jenson's fit, he should drive. If he isn't, he shouldn't. Personally, I think and hope he will be fit and will drive.

Works for me.

Any suggestion that Dr. Sid would let him race if he weren't up to snuff really should be disregarded.

[f1manoz]

If Button feels fine, and the Doc says he's ok, then he'll race.

[Thorstone]

Yes he will always do better than Villeneuve

[Lee Janotta]

He was fine to race in Monaco, would be fine to race in Canada. That was child's play as impacts go.

Get in the seat, or hang up the helmet and give Ant the ride.

[Wrex]

Originally posted by TeddyG
This of course was a blatant slap in the face to Jacques a guy who has sacrificed his career for this team and was the one who started it.

Whoa Whoa Whoa - Hold up there Nelly.

Lets be realists here. JV 'sacraficed' his career for a bucket load of money, not for BAR.

Originally posted by TeddyG
JV with his experience and heavier strategy waited it out towards the back

I believe that strategy is being used my Minardi at the moment


TeddyG, while I accept most of my JV's critisms are exaggerated and tongue in cheek, can you accept that JV is not the knight in shinning armor you portray?

He has'nt blown Button away. He has said some stupid things to the press? His salary/performance ratio may well be the worst in the field?

Can you acknowledge any faults with him?


As for Button, this is a non-issue. If he can race, he will, if not he wont.

[ASCII Man]

JV 'sacraficed' his career for a bucket load of money, not for BAR.

You can call me Satan if wanting to make a lot of money is evil...

He has'nt blown Button away.

Note to Jacques: Get a bazooka.

[RussianFriend]

Originally posted by ®îjñtjûh
You can call me Satan if wanting to make a lot of money is evil...

If one makes a lot of money he doesn't sacrifice something. He just sold it.