If you have a teammate that you can beat most of the time, but one who is good enough to take points away from your rivals, winning the WDC is much easier. Massa isn't able to this, but Button could. I think this is why Alonso is keen on having Button as teammate. Look at Red Bull this year - Vettel is destroying Webber but at the same time you've got Webber taking points from Vettel's rivals - which has helped Vettel build a huge lead in the Championship.
Having recently expressed his opinion on the idea of being team mates with Alonso, it is now claimed that Button received an offer from Ferrari prior to October 2011, roughly when we were all discussing it.
I know this irrelevant now because he is in a multi year deal with Mclaren, but whilst I'm sure he used other teams to negotiate I think he has his eyes firmly on being the main driver at Mclaren! Although purley an opinion there was probably always a higher chance in Jenson's mind that Lewis would move to another team come 2013 than getting a strong hold in a competitive Red Bull or Ferrari!
That doesn't sound unreasonable but he still went in there knowing he'd have to beat Hamilton to get himself into such a position. I doubt his 'multi-year' deal would have been forthcoming if Hamilton had shown him up.
Yes, but he still went in there believing that it was likely to be a better move than staying in a team which had exhausted its resources in order to dominate 2009. Plus, with the confidence of a world champion, it's unlikely he'd think much of being shown up by Hamilton; all that stuff came from outside, from media and fans. It seems, with hindsight, to have been a more audacious move from our point of view than from his and he has been vindicated: he suits McLaren and McLaren suits him. I do think that "he has his eyes firmly on being the main driver at McLaren", or 'had' maybe, because despite Lewis's wobble last year, neither driver really dominates the other and I expect this parity to remain for a while.
he has a contract with mclaren for the rest of his career, that one worth something like 100 million where he races with them for the rest of his career and takes on other roles with the team when he is done racing
I could see Button being number 1 at McLaren next year alongside di Resta. Wouldn't be surprised to Hamilton take a year out to get his head straight if he doesn't get it together this year, he always looks strained and under pressure at grands prix these days. I can't see why Button would go to Ferrari to be honest, they're shambolic at the moment, he'd basically be sacrificing any chance of success to say he drove for Ferrari, I can't see him going for it. It'll almost certainly be Perez, with a slim chance of Kubica, Webber or Sutil getting it.
I would be suprised if he would take a year out, its the beast within himself! I dont think anyone thinks JB will drive for another team, just the potential thought process and inner belief that made him make the decession he did when he obviously had other offers.
Where would hamilton go? I doubt he'll get in an RBR or Ferrari, and anything else would be a step back, although being out of the spotlight in a car not thought to win would probably do him the world of good, especially if he got the odd result out of it.
Buttons got a good thing going right now. Racing for a top team and able to challenge a highly respected team mate. Can see him finishing off at McLaren.
Jensons decision wouldve come down to wanting equal treatment in a competitive team, McLaren fits this perfectly having a two number one driver ethos. As long as Alonso is at Ferrari and Vettel is at Red Bull, it is the only realistic chance he has at fighting for the world championship. It is why I also see his team mate signing a multi year deal later this year.
I hope he does, I just have a feeling that he will jump ship especially if Merc get their act together. I think the 2014 regs will throw the team pecking order back in the mix again - Williams or Lotus maybe in an attempt to follow in Senna footsteps?
I could see the McLaren line-up going that way, too, but I don't expect to see Hamilton taking a year out - a move to Mercedes alongside Rosberg is more likely in my opinion and will depend more on them signing up to the new Concorde Agreement than on their car being a championship challenger this season. I don't think he looks strained and under pressure. Honestly, I think he looks aloof and disinterested - not in the racing or his team but in the media and the sensationalist spin they put on everything he says. I reckon part of his approach to getting past what went on last year is to give the media nothing this year, except the time and responses to questions he's contracted to do. If you thought Hamilton was a PR robot in the past, I reckon he's going to be Madame Tussaud's this year. He turned down their offer so Button's not ready to go to Ferrari any time soon but I could imagine how much of a buzz he'd've got from being asked. Clearly, he believes he can win the WDC again and, from the outside looking in, McLaren seems to be his best bet for that at the moment, even though he's the only top driver with a top driver team mate.
I would like to see Webber in that other McLaren, lets see which team mate is the harder to deal with. Lewis not signing that McLaren contract sooner than later will get to him eventually. Paranoia will start to kick in and McLaren will start to get worried if Lewis does win the WDC he will jump ship anyway and take that number 1 with him. It would be in McLarens best intrest to support Button over Lewis if he doesn't sign around about Britain or Germany. Who will blink first? McLaren or Lewis?
Hamilton just needs to avoid McKenzie, who thrusts a mic in his face, gets him in a corner and harries him into saying something. I wish he'd just push her mic away and ignore her question whilst muttering audibly live that he didn't want to talk to her she was just a **** stirring wind-up bitch.
