McLaren Fans: Jenson Button As Team Leader

[rkn]

His main downfall, and he openly admits it, is his inability to drive around a car that doesn't suit him.

Every driver in F1 is talented, meaning that any F! driver in a RB7 would have had to win a race eventually. If Button wants to be remembered as a great driver, which he is not, he'll have to show that his talent > any car. When did Button ever wow us?

[RB7ate9]

Jenson Button is a likeable guy. As a team leader, I think he will do well. He's got a need for a car that distinctly suits his driving styles and preferences, so that will drive development. More so than a driver that can just step up and adapt.

Will that necessarily translate to a WDC/WCC? I do not think so. If Button is, indeed, for the long haul, then perhaps further down the line, but I do not think that Button has the persistent and consistent talent on track that Alonso has. Between RBR, Mcl, and Fer: Mcl has the technical prowess to make fast cars, Fer has Alonso, but only RBR have the technical prowess and the indomitable persona of Vettel as the best all-around team.

[jdlive]

Poor Mclaren, just after a season of having had the best car but managing to lose both championships due to their (all round lacking) drivers, now they have added an even worse driver in Perez. They might actually end up 4th or 5th in the constructors championship in 2013. Maybe they'd do best to sign Vettel for 2014 instead of letting him go to Ferrari. That should give them their prize(s).

[rkn]

Poor Mclaren, just after a season of having had the best car but managing to lose both championships due to their (all round lacking) drivers, now they have added an even worse driver in Perez.

Just not true, Hamilton easily wins the championship if not for unreliability/team mishaps.

[RB7ate9]

Poor Mclaren, just after a season of having had the best car but managing to lose both championships due to their (all round lacking) drivers, now they have added an even worse driver in Perez. They might actually end up 4th or 5th in the constructors championship in 2013. Maybe they'd do best to sign Vettel for 2014 instead of letting him go to Ferrari. That should give them their prize(s).

They have drivers that essentially split the driver persona evenly (Hamilton is quick, if at times over-eager; Button is usually more calm and collected) which should have given Mclaren the best of both worlds to win. Through the team's technical issues and general lack of unity, they slipped pretty far down the ranks.

[Nando]

Poor Mclaren, just after a season of having had the best car but managing to lose both championships due to their (all round lacking) drivers,

You just proved you haven´t watched the 2012 season of Formula One. I mean seriously where do you come up with this stuff?

Absolute utter nonsense.

[PlatinumZealot]

Hamilton could never ever utter being the defacto number 1. He was never allowed to by Mclaren, and if he did he would be slaughterd by the masses.

It is reall true that Hamilton was not wanted at Mclaren, or they did not like him.

That´s nothing special though, Mclaren have always equalized their drivers. This is the reason why there has been a drought in titles.

I don´t think Mclaren do not want Hamilton, he´s the only reason Mclaren are still relevant in terms of titles.
1999 was the last time they took a title if you exclude Hamilton´s WDC.

What? Nope.. just the Senna Prost, Ham Button periods are clouding your memories. Mclaren had many number 1 number 2 driver pairings.

[PlatinumZealot]

Naturally, because of his experience against Perez, the development and race engineers will go to Button for input and advice. And because he's so sensitive to a car that doesn't perform properly, he will identify those problems very quickly.

But, let me ask this... why didn't they make Alonso number team leader?

I think Button is being political as ringo said above. He is shouting from the mountain tops to intimidate Checo from now. Very nasty tactics.

[Nando]

Show us some clear examples of nr1 nr2 drivers at McLaren.

not just names but incidents,

[Pierce89]

Show us some clear examples of nr1 nr2 drivers at McLaren.

not just names but incidents,

Hakkinen,Coulthard Australia 98. Coulthard pulled over for Hakkinen. Mclaren fans seem to "forget".

[raymondu999]

It was based on a weird deal though - something like "whoever got to Turn 1 first should get the win" - so in a sense Coulthard had a fair-ish crack at it.

[Nando]

Show us some clear examples of nr1 nr2 drivers at McLaren.

not just names but incidents,

Hakkinen,Coulthard Australia 98. Coulthard pulled over for Hakkinen. Mclaren fans seem to "forget".

Well first of all you had the mysterious pit call for Hakkinen that forced him to give up the lead then what i could find on Wiki was this,

A few laps before the end of the race, Coulthard let Häkkinen past on the front straight. The two had made a pre-race agreement that between the two of them, the driver who led at the first corner would go on to win the race, should he be in the position to do so.

Any other instance?

[dren]

Naturally, because of his experience against Perez, the development and race engineers will go to Button for input and advice. And because he's so sensitive to a car that doesn't perform properly, he will identify those problems very quickly.

But, let me ask this... why didn't they make Alonso number team leader?

I think Button is being political as ringo said above. He is shouting from the mountain tops to intimidate Checo from now. Very nasty tactics.

You guys read into this --- too much. Button speaks his mind, always has, always will. He wants to lead the team. It's nothing more, nothing less.

[raymondu999]

While I don't agree that McLaren drive with a number 1 number 2 in that they order one to give way for the other, I think they're somewhat guilty of "managing" the driver selection by choosing one driver deliberately slower than the other. I think for example in 2008 they hired Kovalainen because they knew he would fall into a "natural" number 2 role by not performing at Hamilton's level in the first place - sort of what I personally feel Red Bull do now with Webber and Vettel - but they won't tell the "pre-designated number 2" to move over during the rare times they're ahead. I think McLaren were thinking of marketing "the last two world champions" thing in 2010, but they found who they thought was probably the weakest world champion around (let's face it - Button, by 2009 end, probably had just shown, in most people's minds, that he could win when given a technical advantage (DDD) but not otherwise, allowing him to slot into the number 2 role. Same with Coulthard, unfortunately.

Having said that - I do remember Kovalainen moving over for Hamilton too in 2008 Hockenheim. Look at 2:43:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdIikQ1Z6vE[/youtube]

[dren]

Button performed a lot better than I thought he would against Hamilton. I think it may have helped him elevate.

Button and Kimi will fight for the championship next year.