Has Button got another championship in him?
Discussion
Just been watching Sky's review of the 2012 Season, and the seemed to be agreement that Jenson will be team leader for 2013, and if the produce a decent car, he could be in with a crack at it
William Hill were I believe offering 7/1 on him for the title.
Now I realise its academic, McLaren could produce a "dog" and be rubbish, but, if he gets the car, could he do it again? Personally, I think he can and will.
William Hill were I believe offering 7/1 on him for the title.
Now I realise its academic, McLaren could produce a "dog" and be rubbish, but, if he gets the car, could he do it again? Personally, I think he can and will.
Assuming McLaren produce a car that is faster than the Red Bulls and they don't bugger up every pit stop for the first half of the year and they don't make retarded strategy calls he might make it. The rules are the same as last year as far as I know and I think everyone is just "developing" last year's car rather than design a new one, so the Red Bulls should dominate again.
YES! ...but so do Vettel and Alonso...
Here's pretty much how I score it for Button:
In his favour:
12 seasons experience, +200 races and one championship
Changeable conditions master
Likelyhood of seasonal development in his direction
McLarens 2012 car was decent
Top driver Hamilton in a 'bad' car
Top driver Vettel begins the season in a 'behind development schedule' car
A 'fresh rookie' team mate
Against him:
Very sensitive to car setup
Qualifying a weakness
Poor car reliability & team strategy errors in 2012
Top driver Vettel very strong at qualifying
Top driver Alonso makes little/no errors racing
In summary, give Button a car as good as last season that he can setup perfect week in week out, that only suffers from one/two reliability issues and also make most of the races damp. Oh and if Vettel and Alonso also have a bad qualifying/racing car that should, should, just about give Button another championship...
Here's pretty much how I score it for Button:
In his favour:
12 seasons experience, +200 races and one championship
Changeable conditions master
Likelyhood of seasonal development in his direction
McLarens 2012 car was decent
Top driver Hamilton in a 'bad' car
Top driver Vettel begins the season in a 'behind development schedule' car
A 'fresh rookie' team mate
Against him:
Very sensitive to car setup
Qualifying a weakness
Poor car reliability & team strategy errors in 2012
Top driver Vettel very strong at qualifying
Top driver Alonso makes little/no errors racing
In summary, give Button a car as good as last season that he can setup perfect week in week out, that only suffers from one/two reliability issues and also make most of the races damp. Oh and if Vettel and Alonso also have a bad qualifying/racing car that should, should, just about give Button another championship...
Button has shown enough form twice really. In 2009 and in 2011.
He was probably in the form of his life in 2011, but the Red Bull advantage was too big and the gap to Vettel too great too soon.
So it's not impossible. But it depends on the car he has, the car everyone else has etc etc
He was probably in the form of his life in 2011, but the Red Bull advantage was too big and the gap to Vettel too great too soon.
So it's not impossible. But it depends on the car he has, the car everyone else has etc etc
Definitely. I said all through the second half of last year he'll do it in 2013, the design team are the same team that did the 2011 car which he drove brilliantly in and got on well with. The team focus will be more behind him this year regardless of what's said in public. This is his best chance since he joined Mclaren.
weyland yutani said:
No, he is too "hot and cold" like Maaark. On his day he can be unbeatable but too often he complains about balance and has a poor weekend.
He doesn't 'complain' about balance. He struggles with balance and tells the team, there's a difference.He definitely has another title in him, and I'd like to see him take it in 2013,
MrKipling43 said:
weyland yutani said:
No, he is too "hot and cold" like Maaark. On his day he can be unbeatable but too often he complains about balance and has a poor weekend.
He doesn't 'complain' about balance. He struggles with balance and tells the team, there's a difference.As for the OP's question, I'm a huge fan but I'm not sure. If there's a clear car advantage I reckon he can do it. He showed that at the first race of 2012.
However, if he needs to grab it by the scruff of the neck and fight for it I'm not so sure. I would say the same about Vettel - before Red Bull sorted the car after the Italian GP in '12 he was pretty much nowhere in terms of being in a shout for the title.
Jerry Can said:
my '13 prediction is Button winning the WDC, Perez being fired by season end, and Hamilton coming back to McLaren for 2014. ( after having a shocker of a season with Merc - mostly through petulance at the realsiation of the mistake he has been talked into making - leaving Mclaren)
Hamilton will be with Mercedes until the end of 2014 at the very earliest. Merc are throwing everything they have at the 2014 car and engine. If the car doesn't perform in 2014 then he'll jump and his only option would be Red Bull, Lotus (or whatever it might be called then) and Mclaren. I expect to see him back at Mclaren but maybe not until his last 3 years before retirement.
It's possible, he's certainly on the list of driver who could win a WDC given the right equipment, but IMHO he needs an slight unfair advantage in terms of Car, unlike say Alonso, Vettel or Hamilton and he's incredibly fussy IMHO with car set-up, it almost like he's sitting there too busy worrying it's not quite how he likes it to go on with just doing his best with it, that's probably unfair, but it's only my opinion.
In regards to his 'feedback' or complaining, perhaps not in his McL or Brawn days, but at Honda he b
hed and moaned from mid-table finish to mid-table finsh, soemtimes he would openly bh about his team and the team which is just not on.
In regards to his 'feedback' or complaining, perhaps not in his McL or Brawn days, but at Honda he b
hed and moaned from mid-table finish to mid-table finsh, soemtimes he would openly bh about his team and the team which is just not on. RealSquirrels said:
well, he had a front running car this year and was unable to capitalise on it, so I say, no. He's in the same team next year, what's going to change? He'll probably manage one grid slot higher each race because the guy in the other mclaren is in a slower car now.
And of course, he finished behind Lewis in every race last year?Forums | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff