Jenson to Williams as Lauda was to Merc?
Discussion
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24180/12195243/j...
I reckon they can lift themselves up from dead last this year, so long as the car is half decent.
SkyF1 said:
Jenson Button rejoins the team he began his F1 career with in 2000, and will dovetail his new Williams duties with his ongoing role as a Sky F1 expert analyst; Button: "I'm excited to work with them to help this team back to the front"
Another good sign I reckon - surely its partly a PR thing but still, I am sure he has lots to add and give. With him also continuing to work for Sky this might drum up a little more exposure for Williams and can only be good from a sponsorship aspect. I reckon they can lift themselves up from dead last this year, so long as the car is half decent.
- Sorry, that was harsh, I do quite like JBInteresting move
He's no way like Lauda was at Merc. Lauda was exec Chairman, day to day, ran the team alongside Toto.
Button is an advisor. It's more like Berger at Red Bull back in the day.
Smells a bit like PR fluff and it can't be that serious if he's remaining based in LA and still working on the telly.
But he has experienced what good teams look like and has a load of experience so, if they listen to him, it could help.
He's no way like Lauda was at Merc. Lauda was exec Chairman, day to day, ran the team alongside Toto.
Button is an advisor. It's more like Berger at Red Bull back in the day.
Smells a bit like PR fluff and it can't be that serious if he's remaining based in LA and still working on the telly.
But he has experienced what good teams look like and has a load of experience so, if they listen to him, it could help.
Muzzer79 said:
Interesting move
He's no way like Lauda was at Merc. Lauda was exec Chairman, day to day, ran the team alongside Toto.
Button is an advisor. It's more like Berger at Red Bull back in the day.
Smells a bit like PR fluff and it can't be that serious if he's remaining based in LA and still working on the telly.
But he has experienced what good teams look like and has a load of experience so, if they listen to him, it could help.
This ^^^He's no way like Lauda was at Merc. Lauda was exec Chairman, day to day, ran the team alongside Toto.
Button is an advisor. It's more like Berger at Red Bull back in the day.
Smells a bit like PR fluff and it can't be that serious if he's remaining based in LA and still working on the telly.
But he has experienced what good teams look like and has a load of experience so, if they listen to him, it could help.
Lauda was in a somewhat different league as an inspiration. Not to mention proven to drive success in various enterprises in addition to his F1 work.. He seemed to have a particular and unique form of wisdom when it came to F1 and how to motivate people.
I like JB. But he is to Lauda what Williams are to Mercedes...
I suppose to answer this threads OP in full...
Lauda was the man who convinced Lewis to cross over to Merc. He was also the man who Toto credits with starting the belief that 'we can do this' in terms of the Mercedes championship efforts. He swayed Toto to unite when they were initially arguing - and they became very fine friends. He played a major part in cementing what Mercedes F1 could do and helped to connect the resources to the ambitions. Lauda was a man born with a laser vision to see through the noise and find the winning solution, he had that quality through all his years.
I suspect JB might achieve rather less in his new role at Williams... He's already done far less with far more money than Lauda left with for one thing. Lauda found new success and money whilst he was on an F1 hiatus wondering what to do with his life.
JB is a lovely chap, a very modest celebrity too. Lauda was a one in a billion, in addition to being a quick and smart driver. In pop culture Lauda is remembered as having a battle with James Hunt, but the truth is that they ended up respecting one another and becoming friends. What more can be done by any man that to be great enough of character than to earn the friendship of your fiercest rival? That's the level to which Lauda sets the bar at in terms of F1 decency and quality. Lewis and Toto clearly follow his stride in that regard. JB simply hasn't been part of any such story. He can't command the humbling respect and open ears that Lauda did, regardless of what sense he might speak.
Lauda was the man who convinced Lewis to cross over to Merc. He was also the man who Toto credits with starting the belief that 'we can do this' in terms of the Mercedes championship efforts. He swayed Toto to unite when they were initially arguing - and they became very fine friends. He played a major part in cementing what Mercedes F1 could do and helped to connect the resources to the ambitions. Lauda was a man born with a laser vision to see through the noise and find the winning solution, he had that quality through all his years.
I suspect JB might achieve rather less in his new role at Williams... He's already done far less with far more money than Lauda left with for one thing. Lauda found new success and money whilst he was on an F1 hiatus wondering what to do with his life.
JB is a lovely chap, a very modest celebrity too. Lauda was a one in a billion, in addition to being a quick and smart driver. In pop culture Lauda is remembered as having a battle with James Hunt, but the truth is that they ended up respecting one another and becoming friends. What more can be done by any man that to be great enough of character than to earn the friendship of your fiercest rival? That's the level to which Lauda sets the bar at in terms of F1 decency and quality. Lewis and Toto clearly follow his stride in that regard. JB simply hasn't been part of any such story. He can't command the humbling respect and open ears that Lauda did, regardless of what sense he might speak.
Edited by TheDeuce on Saturday 23 January 23:51
jsf said:
James and Niki were never enemies, they were always friendly.
To answer the OP, no.
This is true. But on track James would have put Niki's life in danger without a second thought if it gave him an advantage, and Niki knew that. On track the battle was very real and brutal.To answer the OP, no.
My main point was that the resultant friendship and respect was driven by the character that Niki had as a racer and human. James must have been slightly in awe of a man that could beat him without all the bravado. No wonder he respected Niki.
And most certainly, to the OP: "no"
Edited by TheDeuce on Sunday 24th January 00:39
TheDeuce said:
This is true. But on track James would have put Niki's life in danger without a second thought if it gave him an advantage, and Niki knew that. On track the battle was very real and brutal.
What a load of garbage.The sport was very dangerous in their era, no driver did what you state. The other drivers would have knocked seven bells of s
t out of anyone driving like that, just making a genuine mistake that caused a crash for others saw you ostracised, as happened to Jody when he caused the pile up at Silverstone.jsf said:
TheDeuce said:
This is true. But on track James would have put Niki's life in danger without a second thought if it gave him an advantage, and Niki knew that. On track the battle was very real and brutal.
What a load of garbage.The sport was very dangerous in their era, no driver did what you state. The other drivers would have knocked seven bells of s
t out of anyone driving like that, just making a genuine mistake that caused a crash for others saw you ostracised, as happened to Jody when he caused the pipe up at Silverstone.
I wasn't suggesting that he would seek to harm Niki, simply that his goal was to win vs Niki in-spite of subsequent danger from the battles they had. That is indeed to this day a normal part of the sport - they want to win, not protect one another at the expense of winning. That does however typically make enduring friendships somewhat hard to come by between title rivals. I think it's fully worthy of credit that during and after a very heated battle James and Niki were able to maintain a friendship.
TheDeuce said:
Your attitude is back at full force I see
I wasn't suggesting that he would seek to harm Niki, simply that his goal was to win vs Niki in-spite of subsequent danger from the battles they had. That is indeed to this day a normal part of the sport - they want to win, not protect one another at the expense of winning. That does however typically make enduring friendships somewhat hard to come by between title rivals. I think it's fully worthy of credit that during and after a very heated battle James and Niki were able to maintain a friendship.
Sorry Duece, but your statement deserved the response. It's a disgusting thing to state what you did.I wasn't suggesting that he would seek to harm Niki, simply that his goal was to win vs Niki in-spite of subsequent danger from the battles they had. That is indeed to this day a normal part of the sport - they want to win, not protect one another at the expense of winning. That does however typically make enduring friendships somewhat hard to come by between title rivals. I think it's fully worthy of credit that during and after a very heated battle James and Niki were able to maintain a friendship.
It's pretty clear you are clueless about these drivers. Why not just say nothing, rather than make stuff up, especially such outrageous stuff.
jsf said:
TheDeuce said:
Your attitude is back at full force I see
I wasn't suggesting that he would seek to harm Niki, simply that his goal was to win vs Niki in-spite of subsequent danger from the battles they had. That is indeed to this day a normal part of the sport - they want to win, not protect one another at the expense of winning. That does however typically make enduring friendships somewhat hard to come by between title rivals. I think it's fully worthy of credit that during and after a very heated battle James and Niki were able to maintain a friendship.
Sorry Duece, but your statement deserved the response. It's a disgusting thing to state what you did.I wasn't suggesting that he would seek to harm Niki, simply that his goal was to win vs Niki in-spite of subsequent danger from the battles they had. That is indeed to this day a normal part of the sport - they want to win, not protect one another at the expense of winning. That does however typically make enduring friendships somewhat hard to come by between title rivals. I think it's fully worthy of credit that during and after a very heated battle James and Niki were able to maintain a friendship.
It's pretty clear you are clueless about these drivers. Why not just say nothing, rather than make stuff up, especially such outrageous stuff.
Like a pub bore, TheDeuce knows everything.
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