Motorsport on Monday: 15/12/14
And you thought it was going to be quiet in the off-season?
We have a decision. Finally
Button's experience and Magnussen's youthful enthusiasm and therefore future potential were cited as reasons for the protracted debate over who to employ. But the judgement had all the hallmarks of a wait on McLaren's part to see what Magnussen and his sponsors could come up with, only for the total to not be quite what Ron had hoped for at the final hour. Remember, McLaren might have Honda money behind it now, but it still doesn't have a title sponsor.
Pressure from the public and a rumoured 50 per cent pay cut for Button meant the Brit got the second seat alongside Alonso.
But with 'Nando on around £25m next year and Jenson on less than £8m, it would be a touch embarrassing for Alonso if Button does him in a points-per-pound equation.
After the announcement Button showed yet again what a pro he is, remaining magnanimous to Magnussen. He tweeted, "Feeling for my buddy @KevinMagnussen such a talent and great guy, he'll be back in F1 before we know it."
Grosjean certainly committed in Barbados
A few weeks back PH recalled one of Tom Kristensen's best drives at Le Mans 2008, celebrating the Dane's last race for Audi in the World Endurance Championship in Sao Paolo. It wasn't quite his last race the season though.
TK signed off last weekend with yet another win, teaming up with Petter Solberg (it was a Nordic team) in the Race of Champions Nations Cup to triumph over Brits David Coulthard and Susie Wolff.
Britain got a victory the next day however, with the spoils of the individual event going to Coulthard. Life in the old dog yet etc.
It wasn't an unexpected victory given how precise his driving was on Sunday - he drove beautifully and dominated his group - but you might not have put your cash down on him to knock out the likes of Solberg, six-time V8 Supercar champ Jamie Whincup and Merc F1 reserve Pascal Wehrlein in the final, even with his fair share of luck.
Nonetheless, well done DC. In fact, well done ROC. The weekend proved it's still an entertaining formula: wham, bam, roll a Stadium Super Truck, and thank you mam. That's exactly what happened to WTCC driver Jose Maria Lopez on Saturday, up against Romain Grosjean.
And, in fact it was Grosjean that provided a good deal of the entertainment in Barbados. Lotus take note, look what he can do with a reliable engine.
He had the SSTs sussed (even though he was eventually eliminated by Whincup on Sunday). But talk about commitment? Check out the picture to redefine what you think roll is.
And for Chris Hoy's third season of racing...
As well as McLaren confirming Button for next year, there was another fairly significant driver announcement this past week. Sir Chris Hoy will next year race a Nissan-powered Ginetta-Juno LMP3 car in the European Le Mans Series. He'll be paired with BRDC Rising Star Charlie Robertson, making a British pairing in a British car one to watch next year.
That little off in the GT-R NISMO at Goodwood notwithstanding, Sir Chris has had a decent first run in British GT this year - especially given it was only his second season of proper competition. A best of second at Spa isn't half bad for someone who's a total rookie to GT3 machinery.
2015 will be a steep learning curve for Hoy again as part of his plan to drive at Le Mans, but LMP3 should be a good bridge between GT and full-on prototype racing.
... into LMP3! To be continued
It's not like Hoy has just chosen to go car racing though. He's always been into track driving, even when he was training for the Olympics.
I once followed him around Oulton Park in his Lotus 2-Eleven after he'd tried to flog me a set of CR500s from behind a pair of dark, concealing shades.
Put it this way, he's quite handy, and swapping two wheels for four was a logical move for him after giving up sitting on a torture device by choice. Congratulations to him and Lewis Hamilton on their respective Sports Personality of the Year awards, too - shame our other World Champion Anthony Davidson didn't get a mention.
And what could this man do on four wheels?
While we're on the subject of two wheels, things that fall over are technically out of my remit, but I've got to give Marc Marquez a quick mention. The 21 year-old, two-time MotoGP World Champion rounded off his year with a dirt track win, beating 2014 AMA Flat Track Champion Jared Mees in the process on the American's own surface.
That'd be like a Formula 1 driver going to the WRC and beating Messrs Loeb or Ogier, something Kimi Raikkonen proved isn't quite as easy as it sounds.
With Honda back in F1 next year, let's hope it can swing it for Marquez to have a shot in a McLaren and we can see how good he is on four wheels.
I've got a feeling he might deflate a few F1 egos if he had a go.
[Images: Stadium Super Truck from @Mattzel89 on Twitter, Marquez from LAT]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE8pIERpl-0
I gather Wolff didn't exactly shine.
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