Reply to: Jenson Button

[Paddy]

http://www.f1network.net/main/s169/st132220.htm?print=1

Joining Honda at the announcement was F1 racecar driver Jenson Button, who is forming a new aviation charter business and has placed orders for two HondaJets to support this new business venture. Button will take first delivery in late 2012.

Can you imagine the logo, “Fly Button”

[TimberWolf]

Hamilton vows to race 'the easy way'

Lewis Hamilton has conceded that it may be time to calm down his approach to racing after another spirited charge through the field in China failed to help him overhaul team-mate Jenson Button.

Incidentally one of the McLaren engineers when interviewed on Sunday said Jenson didn't look after his tyres noticeably better than other drivers.

[Lockhouse]

I've put a lot of effort into trying to drive as smoothly as possible, which I do quite well, in my average track day driver kind of way. Everybody says it's best to be smooth, but is super smooth Button really better than Hamilton, old-Schumacher, Raikonnen, Vettel and Alonso all of whom tend to prefer to hurl the car at the corner? I don't think so.

So maybe ultimately a bit of agression is better than super smoothness. Oppo on every corner, probably not.

I dunno; depends on what you mean by better. Keeping that sort of level of aggression up for the two hours of a race means you are for more likely to make mistakes. I sort of think smooth = consistent, aggressive = erratic.

[BlasterBates]

well my only criticism of Jensen, is that he does have a tendency to go round in circles.

[VectraMan]

I used to race my TVR (when I had one) in sprints and hillclimbs and the drivers who got the best results were the ones who drovely smoothly, didn't make mistakes and above all made it look easy. The furious ones (like me) who opposite locked round corners,were too aggressive etc were always slower. Jenson is one of the first type - he makes it look really easy, but then that's his skill.

I've put a lot of effort into trying to drive as smoothly as possible, which I do quite well, in my average track day driver kind of way. Everybody says it's best to be smooth, but is super smooth Button really better than Hamilton, old-Schumacher, Raikonnen, Vettel and Alonso all of whom tend to prefer to hurl the car at the corner? I don't think so.

So maybe ultimately a bit of agression is better than super smoothness. Oppo on every corner, probably not.

[Lockhouse]

I used to race my TVR (when I had one) in sprints and hillclimbs and the drivers who got the best results were the ones who drovely smoothly, didn't make mistakes and above all made it look easy. The furious ones (like me) who opposite locked round corners,were too aggressive etc were always slower. Jenson is one of the first type - he makes it look really easy, but then that's his skill.

[d000hg]

If they can't get near the start of the grid, Hamilton's style is better. Despite Jenson's very slick overtaking, Lewis just seems more ballsy.
If they can get to the front of the grid, maybe Jenson is better-placed.

I still think Vettel is very talented though. And also seems a nice guy, a good face for the sport.

[VectraMan]

The new rules reward 'conservative' driving, which Jensen is very good at.

I don't think so. Button won two races on clever tyre choice in rainy conditions, nothing to do with new rules. We know that he doesn't kill the tyres like Hamilton, but that's nothing new. Remember Hamilton crashing coming into the pit lane in China on knackered tyres a couple of years back?

Spain generally is the most boring race on the calendar, and is just about aerodynamics. Expect Red Bull 1-2.

[centurian]

The new rules reward 'conservative' driving, which Jensen is very good at.

Lewis however, is a hell-for-leather racer who overtakes half the field, but eats his tyres for breakfast.

Does that make one a better racing driver - that's a matter of opinion - and it certainly isn't Jensen's fault that the FIA changed the rules to suit his style.

But I'd rather have a grid full of Hamilton/Vettel types. Dangerous as it was - their tussle down the pit lane just showed what racers the pair of them are.

[Zippy]

I think Vettel still suffers from the red mists descending sometimes. That also applies to Lewis Hamilton - although his better skill lets him get away with it more often. They will both take big risks, which sometimes don't pay off.
Jenson Button plays the percentage game and won't take any unnecessary risks, so I would say his judgement is much better.
It will be very interesting when we get to Spain. McLaren should have some upgrades but Red Bull will be faster. It remains to be seen whether the Red Bull engines hold up.

[doodab]

I remember a go-kart track in Rhodes where they employed a guy to stand on the fastest corner with a hose, that coupled with 5 pints of pre-race Mythos certainly made things more interesting.

I remember one in Latvia where the track owners dog strolled out on to the main straight and had a crap. While we were racing.

[gingerjedi]

Perhaps F1 should cart around a mobile rain machine to cause chaos. Its the only way these races are interesting.

I remember a go-kart track in Rhodes where they employed a guy to stand on the fastest corner with a hose, that coupled with 5 pints of pre-race Mythos certainly made things more interesting.

[d000hg]

Yes I agree, but when it comes to stringing 50-60 amazing laps together, one after the other, he's not so clever.

He did pretty well last year as soon as everyone caught Brawn up on the car.

[Platypus]

Watch him in qualifiers. The number of times he comes up with an amazing lap right at the end after everyone else thinks it's over...

Yes I agree, but when it comes to stringing 50-60 amazing laps together, one after the other, he's not so clever.

[lilelvis2000]

Perhaps F1 should cart around a mobile rain machine to cause chaos. Its the only way these races are interesting.