Button wary of GP2 stars at Honda
Eurosport - Tue, 11 Nov 10:48:00 2008
Briton Jenson Button is hopeful of retaining his drive with Honda in 2009 - but knows the younger, skilled contenders that will test with the squad this month have the ability to take his seat.
Honda struggled to compete with their 2008 car as they concentrated on development for 2009, leaving Button and team-mate Rubens Barrichello frustrated.
The Japanese outfit are yet to announce their driver line-up for next season, and will give tests to GP2 pair Bruno Senna and Lucas di Grassi in the next two weeks.
Button, appearing at a media briefing for the Race of Champions event at Wembley Stadium, paused when asked about his future.
"I don't know how to answer that one really," he finally answered. "I'm going testing in a couple of weeks, which is positive, I guess."
Speaking afterwards to Eurosport, he said: "I haven't signed anything, but they (Honda) know how I feel and I think I know how they feel. Hopefully we'll sort something out soon.
"Bruno and Lucas are both testing in Barcelona and it'll be interesting to see how they cope with it.
"These days for drivers in GP2 it's not such a big leap: the GP2 car is only six or seven seconds slower than an F1 car and probably not that much slower than our car last season. And it's slick tyres that they race on, so very similar to next year."
Button, 28, is an experienced hand in Formula One after nine years in the sport. He finished third in the World Championship behind the Ferraris in 2004, but has struggled to compete at the top end of the grid since.
He said his 2008 tribulations were difficult to bear, but that everything could come good in 2009 with former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn at the helm having overseen development on the new car.
"The last couple of years have been tough," he told Eurosport. "I couldn't even see a future for the team. I pushed hard to get Ross on board because we were lacking in technical understanding and leadership.
"There were areas within the team that were not very strong and he has positioned the talented people within Honda in other roles, not just brought in new people.
"It's really working: You can't see it on the circuit with the car, but at the factory the atmosphere is very positive.
"We haven't been working on this car since the fourth or fifth race - it makes me look bad, but I can put up with that if we build a good car next year."
Button said that the rule changes that come into force from next season will help Honda as they bid to close the gap on the top teams.
"There's a lot of regulation changes: we have the aerodynamics, adjustable front wings - which will be interesting - slick tyres and KERS," he said.
"The changes are good news for us. They mean we're not in a situation where we are three years behind everyone: (usually) you can't catch up in one year, it takes three or four - if you catch up at all.
"They are positive rule changes, which will help the racing. Whether we will be on the podium though or winning races we won't know until we see how the other teams have progressed.
"(But) we have no excuses next year, none of us. It's a completely new season and new regulations; then 2010 is the crunch year: if we are not winning by then, something has got to change."
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Comment 54 - 73 of 73
donald you bald headed limey, I don't think that there johnnywns got your joke boy. I think he's from France or New Zealand or some other @#$% place. EhEh EhEh
wayne.howcroft
Leave Button alone buster one day that boy gonna be good enough for NASCAR, not like these other F1 faggots.
pack your bags button you had your chance ,all the top drivers are able to develope thier car or drive round the problems hes proved he cant do that ,he does not fit in the top group of drivers so give an ambitious kid a chance ie find another vettel
We could always try looking at Button objectively. We know he has had a dog of a car for the past few years.
However,
Just 4 years ago Jenson came 3rd in the F1 world championship driving a BAR.
To be honest i feathered the brakes so as to just miss him...and he seemed to enjoy it and smiled...obviously something to do with racing mentality !?
johnnywns
Yes, but did you brake?
I almost ran over Jensen button in Highgate London.He didnt look properly before crossing the road and i didnt break either.
Honda should take back Anthony Davidson clearly ever since he stopped testing and developing for them the car's performance has plumetted. Could it be that Jenson finds it difficult to develop a car?
Hey marnio; it's one thing slagging off Lewis, but to slag off our Stig is quite something else! The guy is an institution!
lol every year he says, he gonna be much more competitive next year...NOT IN A HONDA JENSON. He's a good driver but needs to stop living in denial, he needs to move team to be competing for the world championship, to do that he needs to show that he's better than MASSA, ALONSO, HAMILTON, KUBICA, HEIDFELD, KOVY AND VITELL, GOOD LUCK JENSON ;)
But I love them both
if you ever say you hate LH ~~~ its racism
if you say you hate Button ~~~ thats all OK
Hot Rats, don't spoil there fun, besides who else we gonna take the p**s out of until the season starts.
I must say I cant wait to see the World Champion with the rocket red number 1 on his car.
r.l.milligan: I saw that lap and was bowled over by it. As you say it was in the wet and only marginally behind the fastest dry time. Exceptional.
Unfortunately the Hammy haters are already inventing the conspiracies as we speak. Timo Glock slowed down and blocked Stig, Webber, Mick Jagger etc, so Hammy's was really only OK, not quite as good as Keith Richard. Believe me they will certainly try.
Lewis Hamilton appeared on the BBC motoring entertainment programme last year, and his lap around the series' special test track for the popular 'Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car' feature remains unbeaten in the wet and - time-adjusted for dry conditions - is the quickest ever registered, ahead of fellow F1 title-winners Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell, and current grand prix rivals Jenson Button and Mark Webber.
Indeed, so good was the Stevenage-born ace's effort behind the wheel of the modest Suzuki Liana family saloon that he was only three tenths of a second adrift of the Stig's best marker - again on a dry surface. Top Gear presenter James May was clearly impressed.
Mark W, Thanks Mark for correcting me, Paul
Why does ollieboyyy keep posting the same message over and over again?
Is that as far as his intellect stretches?
I bet someone else wrote it for him.
post 55, Don't you think then that Frank William's screwed Jenson Button over when he dumped him for Juan Pablo Montoya? But then after all the hype Montoya wasn't really anything special and Jenson could have done better than him in the Williams car.
Noel D: No I think it's Honda that keep saying that.
he should have gone to williams and honored his contract his now reaping the benefit of screwing frank over the guy who brought him into the sport. And thats why it was nice to see hamilton win he didnt just do it for himself he did for ron and the team the people who brought him into the sport.
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