The curious case of Jenson Button

[clarkiesyeah]

I felt the need for a thread to discuss the possible reasons for the 2009 world drivers champion's recent inability to drive a Formula 1 car. I am saddened to see Jenson looking so lost, he is after all, a really nice guy. I admit my sympathy doesnt go too far for a multimillionaire with a dream job etc.
I cast my mind back to his 2009 championship, at silverstone i think... We have seen this part of JB's persona before, a complete inability to feel what is wrong with his own setup... "guys, how can this car be so bad?"
I have my own thoughts on whats up with JB, his twitter account speaks volumes. He seems far more interested in triathalons and sushi than F1. Whilst i agree that fitness is required by drivers, is doing a triathalon between every race perhaps a little much?

[raymondu999]

He's been an endurance freak for quite a while so I don't think that's the issue. I've heard that McLaren has new suspension bits, and a "bit of electronic trickery" that Jenson suspects is dampening the feel of the car, and so he's not able to truly get into the groove of it. We all know how Jenson wants to be able to feel his car and enable him to lean on it with full confidence.

[clarkiesyeah]

What kind of electronic trickery that is allowed under the current regs could he be talking about? I heard he'd mentioned it in an interview.
No ride height trickery allowed, no mapping trickery allowed, no Traction control allowed. The only thing i can think of is these adjustable brakes Mclaren have been running. They alter the direction of the heat from the brakes to put thermal energy into the tyres as and when needed, or so I believe.

[raymondu999]

Food for thought from Mark Hughes: http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/new ... me-undone-

[Lycoming]

I wouldn't read too much into the "electronic trickery" thing... its a hand-wavey statement that means almost nothing, as they're just using it to conceal something. Whatever it is, we'll probably know about it soon enough, nothing stays secret for long in F1.

As for button's current form, he's obviously not happy with the way the car feels to him. He should be able to make the tyres work, because he's done so earlier in the season. Something has changed, with him, the car or its setup, that has made it so that this is not the case. Whatever it is, they need to figure it out fast; this is their best chance in quite a while to win the constructors.

[raymondu999]

His performance (considering Lewis' performance) in Bahrain I thought was still good. Something changed after Mugello though, when they bolted on that higher nose in Spain.

[myurr]

What kind of electronic trickery that is allowed under the current regs could he be talking about? I heard he'd mentioned it in an interview.
No ride height trickery allowed, no mapping trickery allowed, no Traction control allowed. The only thing i can think of is these adjustable brakes Mclaren have been running. They alter the direction of the heat from the brakes to put thermal energy into the tyres as and when needed, or so I believe.

They're only adjusted in the pits though, so no electronic trickery there.

[sAx]

I felt the need for a thread..?

Nice title. Perhaps we should nickname him Ben.

[clarkiesyeah]

Nice title. Perhaps we should nickname him Ben.

Just like Ben, Jenson is moving backwards compared to those around him...

They're only adjusted in the pits though, so no electronic trickery there.

Ah, that clears that up then...
Perhaps its more down the ddrs route?

[ringo]

I felt the need for a thread to discuss the possible reasons for the 2009 world drivers champion's recent inability to drive a Formula 1 car. I am saddened to see Jenson looking so lost, he is after all, a really nice guy. I admit my sympathy doesnt go too far for a multimillionaire with a dream job etc.
I cast my mind back to his 2009 championship, at silverstone i think... We have seen this part of JB's persona before, a complete inability to feel what is wrong with his own setup... "guys, how can this car be so bad?"
I have my own thoughts on whats up with JB, his twitter account speaks volumes. He seems far more interested in triathalons and sushi than F1. Whilst i agree that fitness is required by drivers, is doing a triathalon between every race perhaps a little much?

Sushi?

[raymondu999]

Sushi?

Sushi.

[PlatinumZealot]

He's been an endurance freak for quite a while so I don't think that's the issue. I've heard that McLaren has new suspension bits, and a "bit of electronic trickery" that Jenson suspects is dampening the feel of the car, and so he's not able to truly get into the groove of it. We all know how Jenson wants to be able to feel his car and enable him to lean on it with full confidence.

So he is an insensitive driver then? He cannot use his other senses to drive the car. He can only feel but not see nor hear. A blind fish in a raging river.

[raymondu999]

I don't think insensitive is the right word. But he's a bit like the 2012 Pirellis in that he blows hot and cold (no pun intended). I think he has 1 single "natural" way to feel grip, and in the absence of said sensation he's lost.

It's like he's an FM radio that hasn't got the tuning knob installed - and he's forever stuck on that one frequency. If the sensation comes on the frequency he likes, then he can duke it out with the best. But recently, he's more often than not, not heard anything on that frequency. Right now he's like that scene we often see in zombie movies - where there's one frequency where there's a survivor somewhere saying, "Hello? Any survivors out there? We have food, weapons and shelter."

[Cam]

I don't think insensitive is the right word. But he's a bit like the 2012 Pirellis in that he blows hot and cold (no pun intended). I think he has 1 single "natural" way to feel grip, and in the absence of said sensation he's lost.

It's like he's an FM radio that hasn't got the tuning knob installed - and he's forever stuck on that one frequency. If the sensation comes on the frequency he likes, then he can duke it out with the best. But recently, he's more often than not, not heard anything on that frequency. Right now he's like that scene we often see in zombie movies - where there's one frequency where there's a survivor somewhere saying, "Hello? Any survivors out there? We have food, weapons and shelter."

So from what you're saying, Button can only win if he has the right car with the right trick i.e. Brawn GP, whereas someone like Alonso can have a not so good car but can adjust his style and modify his actions to get the most from it? Would this be right? That would actually make a lot of sense as he never really shone in other cars or teams, maybe glimpse of greatness, but never really consitently mixed it with the top drivers over the years or punched above his weight in not so good cars.

[raymondu999]

So from what you're saying, Button can only win if he has the right car with the right trick i.e. Brawn GP

That's indeed my hypothesis, yes. Maybe not the right "trick" but the right "feel" for him. 2009, 2011, 2006 and 2004 come to mind. When he takes a liking to the car's feel, I think he can bond with it just as good as anyone, and is at worst case scenario maybe a tenth and a half slower than the Hamiltons/Alonsos/Vettels/etc.

Mind you in the current grid 1.5tenths is quite big for qualifying.