[Driver] Jenson Button's future

[JeremySmith]

I absolutely respect all opinions concerning the career of Jenson Button..But we are rather off base. With all due respect..F1 equal "finite" moments in motor racing..Jenson has missed that tiny time slot I feel..

[Born Racer]

The main mistake was signing a five-year Honda contract. He should've kept them on their toes and negotiated one-year deals, and then kept himself available for better opportunities.

I still think he might know something we don't (probably a lot, but it's just a saying) about a Honda sale, because I would've thought otherwise he would've been off to Toro Rosso, who are let us not forget, associated with a team that are being tipped for wins in 2009.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

The main mistake was signing a five-year Honda contract. He should've kept them on their toes and negotiated one-year deals, and then kept himself available for better opportunities.

I still think he might know something we don't (probably a lot, but it's just a saying) about a Honda sale, because I would've thought otherwise he would've been off to Toro Rosso, who are let us not forget, associated with a team that are being tipped for wins in 2009.

Jenson had performance clauses in his multi-year Honda deal that allowed him an exit. I remember Nick Fry explaining in an interview with ITV that he was worried that Jenson would exercise them as the team performance had fallen outside the threshold. Jenson chose not to.

The reason Jenson decided to see out his multi-year deal is probably the same reason that he decided not to jump from the sinking Honda ship to STR. Money. Jenson is rumored to be one of the highest paid drivers on the grid. He knows he would have struggled to do better from a financial perspective elsewhere. Faced with a Honda withdrawal at the end of 2008, Jenson has the choice of being paid off for the remainder of his contract there or, taking a bag of swag to STR and forgoing any Honda pay-offs.

All the evidence would suggest that Jenson has been financially rather than career driven over the last few years.

[Born Racer]

I must say davyboy, it does seem that way.

I will never understand, once someone has millions in the bank anyway, why they would still choose to follow the money rather than the best F1 seat they can get.

[Super Hans]

Was he thinking of money when he paid Sir Frank Williams out of his own pocket so he could stay with Honda?

[dsg]

Originally Posted by Super Hans

Was he thinking of money when he paid Sir Frank Williams out of his own pocket so he could stay with Honda?

With the high salary & long term deal offered by Honda that is a distinct possibility.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Super Hans

Was he thinking of money when he paid Sir Frank Williams out of his own pocket so he could stay with Honda?

Yes, I'm fairly sure he was. Its likely it was the most financially viable route out of the pickle he got himself into.

[Alan Raine]

Perhaps JB has a future

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21178.html

It's also interesting that Bruno Senna has been very quiet recently.

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by Alan Raine

Perhaps JB has a future

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21178.html

It's also interesting that Bruno Senna has been very quiet recently.

I suspected they had a buyer when Senna and Button turned down drives with iSport and Toro Rosso respectively in the same week.

[Devilsadvocate]

I hope the rumours are true and Honda will be there in Australia. Bernie getting his foot in though...

[Mr V]

I hope the team are there, but just dropping another engine into a chassis designed to house a Honda powerplant will not make for a competitive car.

[Devilsadvocate]

This is starting to look promising...

Personally I will be happier when Autosport are reporting it, but at least the sources are getting more reliable.

[Born Racer]

A good combination of drivers. I rate Senna more than Buemi, if you consider Senna's lack of karting experience. The karting years are the foundation of a driver's racecraft and international karting is astonishingly competitive.

[davyboy]

If this is true its fantastic news, particularly for the staff at Honda Racing and its suppliers.

[Stefvh]

From another forum

http://brunosennaoficial.blogspot.co...ativa-por.html

On Thursday, Feb. 12, Bruno Senna told Luis Fernando Ramos (Tazio, Brazil) he hadn't signed any contract with Honda yet.

[Born Racer]

Maybe he's just playing with semantics.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

Maybe he's just playing with semantics.

Exactly. I haven't signed one with Honda.....

[broadrun96]

Guess there's a British sportscar seat open for him with Brabs signing with Pug for LM this year.

[runshaw]

Some of the posts made by people earlier in this thread now look extremely silly and are pretty much invalid. People jump on the bandwagon when a driver is down and don't really back up their opinions with anything intelligent to say. He has beaten 19 other F1 drivers to pole after 2 years in the shadows driving frankly crap cars which he couldn't do anything about. So you can no longer say he doesn't have the speed anymore, isn't a match for Rubens, has lost his motivation, doesn't make the most of opportunities and is just after money. Great driver, great team.

[Finn]

Originally Posted by runshaw

Some of the posts made by people earlier in this thread now look extremely silly and are pretty much invalid. People jump on the bandwagon when a driver is down and don't really back up their opinions with anything intelligent to say. He has beaten 19 other F1 drivers to pole after 2 years in the shadows driving frankly crap cars which he couldn't do anything about. So you can no longer say he doesn't have the speed anymore, isn't a match for Rubens, has lost his motivation, doesn't make the most of opportunities and is just after money. Great driver, great team.

I agree entirely. Most other drivers would of seeked new teams during the may years when he had poor cars. I hope Button can now show what most of us all know he is capable of doing and wish him and the Brawn team the best of luck.

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by runshaw

Some of the posts made by people earlier in this thread now look extremely silly and are pretty much invalid. People jump on the bandwagon when a driver is down and don't really back up their opinions with anything intelligent to say. He has beaten 19 other F1 drivers to pole after 2 years in the shadows driving frankly crap cars which he couldn't do anything about. So you can no longer say he doesn't have the speed anymore, isn't a match for Rubens, has lost his motivation, doesn't make the most of opportunities and is just after money. Great driver, great team.

True, but if we dug up every old thread we'd all find occasions where we've got it wrong.

[the.cosmic.pope]

Let us hold the boat here. Jenson has done a wonderful job to be on pole, and a great job with the Brawn car. But you don't answer your critics in 1 move like that and you can't just say oh he is better than Rubens and all the rest of it off of 1 qualifying session.

I'd be overjoyed to see Jenson win the race tomorrow. It'd be an awesome achievement for Brawn. But lets not dig up Jenson just yet - there is a long way to go. All it takes is 1 mistake under pressure and suddenly he is back to square 1. (not saying he will - it is just an example to demonstrate how easy it is to fall from the height he is being put at).

It is also extremely unfair to critise forum members like that. If it suddenly takes a massive downturn and things go wrong, should people be allowed to dig up a thread and come back and point out where you got it wrong and call you silly and invalid? Of course not. People form there opinions on the information they have available to them at the time. It would be wise not to be so cocky about getting something right.

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by the.cosmic.pope

Let us hold the boat here. Jenson has done a wonderful job to be on pole, and a great job with the Brawn car. But you don't answer your critics in 1 move like that and you can't just say oh he is better than Rubens and all the rest of it off of 1 qualifying session.

I'd be overjoyed to see Jenson win the race tomorrow. It'd be an awesome achievement for Brawn. But lets not dig up Jenson just yet - there is a long way to go. All it takes is 1 mistake under pressure and suddenly he is back to square 1. (not saying he will - it is just an example to demonstrate how easy it is to fall from the height he is being put at).

It is also extremely unfair to critise forum members like that. If it suddenly takes a massive downturn and things go wrong, should people be allowed to dig up a thread and come back and point out where you got it wrong and call you silly and invalid? Of course not. People form there opinions on the information they have available to them at the time. It would be wise not to be so cocky about getting something right.

Whilst criticism of criticism may be unjustified some of the points made are valid. People do jump on other people (e.g. Button should retire! Button is past it! Barricello is too old! etc), without a shred of real knowledge of the subject. However, it is their opinion, and they are perfectly entitled to have it. Just as myriads of footy supporters constantly slag off players, refs, managers etc every day of the week, albeit from a point of being unable to do those jobs themselves, and therfore not being particualrly qualified to make any comment whatsoever. It's just human nature, for a lot of humans - not all, some people prefer to talk from a position of knpowlege or not speak at all.

[steve_r]

This just highlights the importance of the car. Button was probably driving just as hard all last year, but the car was a dog.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Mr V

I hope the team are there, but just dropping another engine into a chassis designed to house a Honda powerplant will not make for a competitive car.

Goes to show what i know!