Tough year ahead for Jenson

[Chris Strange]

Revelation of the year, Jenson Button will face a complicated challenge next year. Benetton soon to become Renault has been struggling since Schumacher, Brawn, Byrne left the team. This year has been no exception, driver favoritism , poor strategy etc left the team more than often in the middle section. Moreover, it's never easy to restructure a team (see Jaguar) even with the previous experience of Renault. On top of that Briatore is already putting a lot of pressure on Fisichella even before the season has started????...... If Jenson can overcome all of that then he will quickly become a great champion.

[MichaelC]

Like all transitions, I think it's going to be intially quite hard for them. It's fairly likely that they'll be getting lots of development bits as Renault play catch-up, so I forsee a car which is quick but ultimately unreliable.

I certainly can't imagine that Briatore is going to favour Fisichella over Button - I don't think Flav even likes Giancarlo that much, and he's only still there because

1) Fisi was there whan Flav inherited the team
2) Pizzonia isn't ready to drive in F1 yet - Pizzonia and Button would have been an outrageous team, but Renault would never have allowed that.
3) He couldn't get Trulli away from EJ just yet
4) In a Wurz v Fisichella contest, Giancarlo was the lesser of two evils on his opinion. Personally I would have kept Wurz.

Meanwhile, back on topic...

FWIW, I think Jenson will be putting in some very good qualifying performances, and running well early in the race, but the reliability factor will prevent him having as many good finishes as he has this year.

[LYM]

JB has bigger intentions than staying with Jordan after 2002. He'll treat next year as a stepping stone and drive for a top team eventually.

He already indicated that he'll love to partner TGF one day. I hope Ferrari is monitoring his progress.

[RIKB]

Certainly, all his talk so far indicates that he sees himself very much as a BMW Williams driver out on loan. I suspect this will change once he is at Benetton. All a question of saying the right thing at the right time.

I too think that Fissi will be drinking in the last chance saloon next year.

Button has already come through much this year, including being far more successful than expected and still losing his seat. I think he will handle most situations that come his way.

I also suspect that he will get on well with new Technical Bod, Mike Gascoyne. In short the team could, in fairly short order, start to be moulded round Jenson in much the same way that it has been round Fissi, this year.

[Ralf's Girl]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Jenson is going to make Fisichella look like an amateur next season.

[Dani]

RG i think im gonna have to agree with u on that one!!

Im off to wash out my mouth now!!!

[downforce]

Originally posted by Ralf's Girl
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Jenson is going to make Fisichella look like an amateur next season.

...and I'll eat a McMerc diffuser to diffuser if he manages even half of that prediction!!!!!

[Peter Mallett]

It will be quite interesting because this year Fissichella has definitely proved that he's over rated.

[bella]

i think fisi would do waaaay better back at jordan. in fact, i hope next year, they do a zonta/fisi pairing, cause that would be dyyy-namite! no, seriosuly, i think fisi's a bit sunshine and clouds, the wheels still spinning but the hamster's dead, beer short of a six pack in the entire racing driver terms. you compare him to gil de ferran, and it's totally laughable. he's stupidly quick, but doesn't have the knowledge to back it up with. (and this is coming from a drifted away type supporter). the benetton atmosphere is just wrong for anyone but schuey.
jenson will do well to do anything with flav as boss. he is, in general, destructive when it comes to drivers and talking to them.

[CATMAN]

I think it could be very bad for Jenson, it could even be the end of potential champions future. Frank needs his head sorting. If Renault don`t provide a car that lasts the course what good will that be for the youngsters experience.
And are Renault going to give him much help in his second year if they have a reasonable package when he is going to leave and start beating them the next season?

Jenson has been sold down the river, with not much of a paddle to get back with!

[EERO]

Ahhh, how winds change....


I said ages ago that I thought Fisichella would never win a Grand Prix and that his time in F1 was limited.

Next year he is partnered with Flavio's Flavor du Jour and everyone has written off the little Roman.

I say, let him go back to Minardi and fade awy into obscurity like Larini, Modena and Caffi.

Button will have a medicore season next year and come back with a vengence in 2002 when Renault consolidates their control of the team.

[Toth]

I'm sure Button will fare well against Fisi but he certainly won't make him look like an amateur.

He may be closer to Fisi next year than he was to Ralf this year, But that's it. Button is good, but he isn't that good (yet).

And if the Benneton is a fine car next year we may even get to see a bit of them.

Briatore doesn't to mind speaking his mind about his drivers, whether it be a criticism or praise, so I'm interested in seeing if Jenson gets either and how he'll handle any criticism.