Team dynamics at McLaren...

[Melvin Udall]

...So it was brought up in the last F1 thread about how you see more of Whitmarsh with Button than with Hamilton. Do people think that the 'golden boy' for want of a better phrase has moved more to Button rather than Hammy, or is it simply a PR thing as Button has had a bit for form recently, especially with all this talk of long term contracts, etc? Has the departure of Ron Dennis, (gone, but not gone), changed things in this respect?

Opinions?

[Sam the Mut]

Melvin Udall said:

...So it was brought up in the last F1 thread about how you see more of Whitmarsh with Button than with Hamilton. Do people think that the 'golden boy' for want of a better phrase has moved more to Button rather than Hammy, or is it simply a PR thing as Button has had a bit for form recently, especially with all this talk of long term contracts, etc? Has the departure of Ron Dennis, (gone, but not gone), changed things in this respect?

Opinions?

when reading the title did anyone else think it was to do with honda btcc team amd mclaren? or am i being daft.


oh back on subject yeh I do think button is the golden boy.

Edited by Sam the Mut on Saturday 17th September 11:32

[Melvin Udall]

You probably didn't need to quote.

[Life Saab Itch]

What you see (unless you are a team member) is a tiny fraction of what goes on. A TV camera is more likely to focus on a driver talking to a manager before a race than a manager or driver alone.

I would suggest that what has got picked up on is a 5 second clip of Button and Whitmarsh and people are overanalysing it. Whitmarsh is just as likely to spens as much time with Hamilton as Button.

[10 Pence Short]

Unless something very obvious is happening, a la Alonso in Hungary, the public don't have a clue what the dynamic is within a team and never will.

Any sport where large sums of money are involved is now run to corporate standards and the presentation of any and every element representing it they will seek to control as such.

[Melvin Udall]

Yes, I realize we don't see everything, was an interesting topic I though. Never mind, thought it was interesting topic when it cropped up in the other thread.

[Mr_Thyroid]

Button knows how to behave in front of a TV camera. Hamilton looks and sounds uncomfortable except when he has something to distract him like the BBC jetski challenge.

[rubystone]

Hamilton has definitely made a decision to move away from being pally with the BBC - we rarely see MB interview him on the grid and I wonder how many of the red buttons have featured him (the one or two I have caught didn't...)

The consequence of that and the general approachability of Whitmarsh is that we do see a lot more of Button and therefore Whitmarsh with him too. I

[RJB_666]

Mr_Thyroid said:

Button knows how to behave in front of a TV camera. Hamilton looks and sounds uncomfortable except when he has something to distract him like the BBC jetski challenge.

Good spot. There have been a few things like the time they were all singing in the pub around Silverstone time a year or two back as well when he was settled. But interviews i think he struggles to think of what to say. Even on Jonathon Ross the other day he looked taken aback and nervous. I think that could be down to trust though. On top gear with Clarkson he seemed alright. I blame it on the UK media. They build people up and then knock them back tenfold. Buttons had it done to him before.

I think you could be looking into this too much though. Although i think Buttons mindset at the moment is spot on.

[DrTre]

RJB_666 said:

I blame it on the UK media. They build people up and then knock them back tenfold. Buttons had it done to him before.

That's a very good point. Lewis is very wary of the press now, much more uptight for a variety of reasons, both on and off track. Button appears to be much more laissez-faire about F1, he's seen the highs and lows and the resulting media backbiting...to be honest, he just looks like he's enjoying it all, the bad and good parts. He had the balls to take Lewis on, has performed immeasurably better than most were giving him a hope of doing, and is getting the credit for this.

As for the team dynamics, I think it's probably natural that in this second year of the driver line up there's more evenness in the distribution of respect/work/favouritism whatever you want to call it....ie it might appear Button's getting the "better" treatment this year but is that because last year it was probably more natural for the team to focus, even if subconsiously, on who they knew....now they know JB it's more balanced.

[John D.]

Some very good points made in this thread.

Nothing to add which hasn't been said really. I don't think there is an issue or problematic rivalry within Mclaren.