He might have problems at the start with it being his new team, that doesn't mean he's made a mistake

No, he made it without knowing what could had happened.
Button knows what had happened and what can happen.

Is it a mistake? I'm not the one to judge it.
But it surely makes room for this kind of doubts.

Because Button is Briton.

anyway he is worse driver then Hamilton and much much worse than Alonso. So after some time he become nr2.

Button will be fine!

Fry is lying. If he had a contract until 2011 they would not have been in contract talks and Button would not have been able to put pen to paper with Mac.

The point i'm trying to get across from my previous post is that McLaren is more likely to be competitive than Mercedes so Jenson Button will have a better chance to win.

Whether Lewis beats him or not, Jenson should still be able to win races.
Alonso won 4 races and challenged for the WDC at McLaren, and Kovalainen won a race last year.
If he were at Mercedes I don't think he could keep winning whereas at McLaren I think he can win races and possibly the WDC again.

Jenson maybe was tired of being "Fryed"

Creatively or "on the racing edge" requires a certain "challenge"...Jensen knows the score better than any here what life will be like at Mac....corporate Mercedes may also become a drag.... especially still with the likes of Fry

It's certainly good for us, the fans, as we get to see two world champions in the same team for the first time in ages. Button says that he needed a new challenge after the success of Brawn, and he'll certainly get one. I don't expect him to get thrashed by Hamilton, but I'd be surprised if he can score more points over the course of next season.

Button's saying it's not money cos he was offered more at Brawn (5Live interview today). He's insistent that he wants a new challenge. I'm wondering whether, despite being World Champion this year, he's aware that people don't think he's as good a driver as others and so thinks that by pairing up against Hamilton in equal equipment he can prove otherwise.

After all, if he does beat Hamilton in the same car, wouldn't that shut up some of his critics?

""It was 100 per cent my choice. For me, the move is because it's going to be a huge challenge to go up against Lewis in his environment. My goal since I was eight years old has been to win the world title, and I've done that now. Now I feel I need a new challenge."



"No. I'm earning less than I would have at Brawn. I didn't move for money and everyone knows it. It's something new for me. I'll have to work very hard in the new situation I've put myself in, and I intend to do it."



OK! I am going to reverse myself here and say that he may have made the right decision for himself. They guy must really dig a challenge! His comments here may reveal why he stayed so long with BAR/Honda/Brawn.

Maybe, for Jenson, it IS about the challenge!

Alonso said pretty much the same when he signed for McLaren, have done it with Renault, need new challenge blah blah blah. But of course it's not about new challenge, it's long term prospect.

Yes, based on his reasoning (needed a challenge), however he made hard work of winning his first championship in convincing fashion. Based on his performances in 2009 - when the car was dominant he did very well, however when it had lost much of its advantage, he could hardly keep up with his teammate, I don't agree. Hardly the bahavior of a man so on top of his game, he throws himself at the wolves (Lewis Hamilton in "his" team) because he needs to challenge himself. So long story short I vote no.

+1

That's how I voted but i'm happy to be proved wrong by next year! Come on Jense, you know you wanna rub my nose in it by beating our boy...

An inspired move by McLaren first of all.

Two WDC drivers in cars numbered 1 and 2.

As for Button, not knowing detailed of financials offers, a ballsy move to put your fresh WDC reputation against a wonder boy. This is enough for me to applaud him for the decision.

Oh i hope he does

after hearing the recent interview with JB here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport...one/8369244.stm

now i really understand his mindset... basically he has won the WDC now and fulfilled his lifelong ambition.... he could keep winning if Brawn continues to build monsters (unlikely) but it would never be as satisfying as the first...and he feels he wont get the respect he thinks he deserves as a driver....

so how best to spice things up that go up against one of the most highly rated in his backyard.... very brave, i applaud him for that


he has all to gain and only loses if Hamilton totally spanks him

Great move by Jenson!!

My guess is that he will enhance his reputation, in the eyes of many.

Winning the WDC doesn't quite seem to have done it. Many people have been focussing on his mid-season slump - why no criticism of Brawn for failing to sort out his tyre-warming problems?

Apparently Anthony Hamilton made a comment that Kimi would have been a better choice. Sorry I don't know the source, but if it's true, that indicates that not everyone is sure that Hammy will walk it.

I like to think he made the right call, but only an insider would know for sure. Maybe he weighed it all up and figured he'd have a better shot at taking on Hamilton at Team Hamilton than taking on Rosberg at Team Mercedes over the long run.

He's got a three year contract worth close to 20 million, a car that should be competitive from the word go in a team that won't just cease development and give up on the year if they happen to get it wrong, and that will fight tooth and nail to get back to the front rather than resting on a points cushion from halfway through the season. He's seen what Brawn have in the pipeline for next season and he's seen what McLaren have got planned and he's taken the deal that pays less money.

Either the guy is totally insane or he knows exactly what he's doing while we aren't getting the full picture.

As a McLaren supporter I'm overjoyed that he's chosen to take less money to face off against a highly rated driver at an unfamiliar team, rather than play it safe and stay where he is. Says a lot about how he gauges McLaren's competitiveness over Brawns for the coming year.

Just to clarify, I think it was Autosport that said he had a contract until 2011. Autosport later clarified it: that Button had a contract with BAR/Honda that ran to the end of 2011, but that when the team was "taken over" and became Brawn, Button's contract was lost, and he signed a new one that expired at the end of this year, 2009.

We don't know all the details of contracts either. IMO it seems that drivers are able to get out of contracts if they want something different. Button himself did so, when he decided he wanted to stay at BAR/Honda, instead of going to Williams. Alonso had a contract with McLaren that went beyond the one year he drove there. There are lots of examples of such changes in known drover contracts. Heck even another this year is Kimi. Sure he's being paid money to leave - 11 million euro to leave, and 17 million if he doesn't driver another F1 car. Which is why he says he'll only drive a car that can win the WDC. He has millions of reasons to only want a WDC capable car. But his contract to drive a Ferrari in 2010 will not fulfilled itself.

Without knowing all the contract details, we don't know very much. And even if we did, lawyers might argue the points if a driver wanted something different. IMO that's what goes on in F1.

ON another matter you raise, IMO Fry is not the type to lie to the Press. As to Ross Brawn, he IMO is an entirely different kettle of fish.

Lewis shouldn't have pulled out of the triathlon?

I have to say, if what Button is saying is true and i highly doubt that all of a sudden after being in negotiation with Brawn for such a long time ...that he would turn and say it is because he needed a new challenge........i would say he might be out to prove that he is a worthy champion. Can you imagine , how it must feel for him to be so ridiculed in the press about his WDC? He want to go against probably the best current driver at the minute and if he beats him, his reputation will not only soar, but his WDC will be recognized globally. Iam amazed that both Autosport and the team principals didn't pick him to be the driver of the season. They picked Lewis for 2007 and 2008. It must hurt deeply to read these articles bashing his WDC. Iam not a great fan of him, but iam getting tired of endless threads saying how he will be beaten by Hamilton. In fact iam almost hoping he beats Lewis just because i think he will completely crumble if he is destroyed like Kova.

I voted No but respect his decision. I don't think he has much to lose going up against Hamilton as everyone ranks Hammy higher than him already. He also has pretty much the guarantee of a competitive car. Also no-one really knows which car's going to be strongest, with potentially 4 in the mix next year, including Mercedes and Maclaren. All things being equal though I still do think his chances in 2010 would have been better served at Mercedes because he has to start again building relationships and getting to grips with a new team, different car etc and all that is as well as being up against an extremely tough teammate.

The only nagging feeling I have is I'm not 100% sure Jenson was as wanted/loved/respected by Mercedes (Brawn and Co) as they'd have us believe. The only person who I think had a lot of time and respect for Jenson was Dave Richards and I don't think its ever quite been the same there since he left the team.

I'd like to think the same, but in his interview with Jake, it seems he knows little of the relative competitiveness of Brawn and McLaren next season except he believes they will be both fighting at the front. Nor does it seem to have been a important factor in his decision.

and about the "fresh challenge" argument, I don't recall him being that enthusiastic about having a highly regarded driver as teammate when Ross Brawn was trying to sign Alonso in 2008.

Its not the matter of if it was a right or wrong call, it was only possible call. Button isnt even close to be a top 5 driver in F1. He knew that Nico coming in his territory and then destroing him would have been something he couldnt have explained away - that would have been end of his career - being destroied by Hamilton he can always excuse by being #2 in team. Other teams were out of question because Ferrari and Redbull already have their line-up signed up, other teams are not going to win any races nevermind titles, so it was only a question which of these two teams would sign him (Mclaren or Brawn).

Its a shame to think that JB shud avoid LH. Im very surprised by some comments that mean 'okay you got yhe WDC, but why do you want to embarass yourself?'
I just hope that JB gives his very best against LH. :up

He wasn't a WDC then though. Having a very strong teammate is the last thing you want when going for your maiden WDC win, just increases the pressure that much more. Now that he has it, losing out to a teammate won't hit so hard.

What did he say then? I cannot honestly remember any comments about it.

I don't think he did, I think he was pushed.

What? Shutup, Fry and Brawn have clearly stated more than once that the outcome they wanted was Jenson in the car.

They went on to say they tried and tried to contact Button's managment but had no reply because JB had made his mind up.

You might think he was pushed, but the FACT was he was not.

Here's an interesting article from Mark Hughes which says that 2010's regulations could give button an advantage over Hamilton:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/for...icle6926826.ece?

I really like Jenson, and have supported him for years and did proverbial cartwheels at his success this season, but I still think Lewis has enough in reserve to overcome this, not least that McLaren have probably factored it into their car design for next year.

However, it should be interesting to see how it pans out.

Everytime there is a rule change someone will predict how it is going to benefit one driver or another. In general the predictions turn out to be incorrect.

Massa always had the speed. Button doesn't. His benefit is that he's consistently above average in speed. Hamilton is consistently blistering. Anyone who believe Button has a remote chance of coming close to Hamilton, let alone beat him didn't watch the disasterous 2nd half of 2009.

Anyone who thinks JB can't compete with LH obviously didn't watch the brilliant 1st half of 2009.

Judging by Fry's comment after Button signed with McLaren I'd say getting away from him was definitely the right move.

The comment I refer to being "a bit of loyalty would have been nice, but then you don't really expect it in this business"

FFS, the guy stuck with Honda despite languishing near the bottom of the grid in a pathetic car, he took a huge pay cut to help them out at the beginning of the season rather than jumping ship when he wasn't sure if they'd even be on the grid this year or not, and now that they've taken both titles, had a nice little buy out that's made them millionaires, and Button decides it's a good time to seek a new challenge, Fry says it shows a lack of loyalty.

What a total ass !!! But then I never have thought much of the bloke anyway.

Brilliant my DDD

For me it's a mistake, Brawn+ Mercees sonds like brilliant car. He wouldn't have lost anything had he stayed at Mercedes GP. But he's gone to compete with a great talent and be part of the 2nd most succesful team in the grid. Personally I believe he can't get too close to Hamilton, he needs an utterly superior car.

And yet he still outscored his teammate in the 2nd half despite it being 'disastrous'. Weird.

Only time will tell if it was a good move, but at least we will have some more ground for triangular/indirect comparisons, like how Rubens [=Jenson] fares against Alonso [=Lewis].
Of course, for the ones who enjoys this kind of comparison.

Right call for me? Yes; so I voted YES.

Right call for Jenson? who knows or cares, that's for him to decide not me.

It's the right move for Button. If McLaren produce an excellent car (likely) Button will give Hamilton all he can handle. The only way Lewis "destroys" Button is if the car is fundamentally flawed with an unstable rear end.

I support his decision. Currently, I'm almost 100% certain that Lewis is the quicker of the two. However, if Jenson is the kind of man that revels in a challenge, and he wants to prove himself to be one of the best drivers in the world, he's doing precisely the right thing.

There are limits to every man's abilities, but no man's limit is ever a known quantity, nor has any man ever reached his limit. Just as no driver has ever put down the perfect lap. There is a mathematical limit, but there is always more. One can always try harder. Train harder. Keep learning. One's quickness is not stagnant.

Jenson could potentially become quick enough to beat Lewis if he wants it bad enough, and I hope he does it.

John Button is certainly not a pushy Dad, just a proud one.

I won't play second fiddle to Alonso, or something along the line.
doesn't sound he relishes the challenge, does it?
and I just don't get why defending his title with Brawn isn't a challenge. If he's stung by comments like "he only beat a Rubens" or "That Brawn is a rocket", he can still prove himself by destroying Rosberg next season, and Brawn is unlikely to be so dominant next season anyway.

I voted yes, because Mercedes didn't want him...they want an all German line-up ( I predict Vettel will be there next year).
When a team doesn't want you, Jenson did the best thing in going to a team that does

Interesting that this poll is so close still - given the number of people saying it was the wrong move.

FOr me Button will be closer to Hami than Kovi was but Hami will beat him.

But if Jenson truly wants a new challenge having won the WDC them of course it was the right move

I agree. Lots of pundits are claiming Alonso will take Massa to the cleaners. What is so laughable is that many of these pundits, were the same ones who believed Raikkonen was going to do the same with Massa, and it did not turn out to be the case. Likewise with Hamiltons tyre usage. He has progressively got better with his tyre management year after year, that now it's no longer the issue it once was. I cant recall a race he had tyre issues in 2009. In Turkey he did a 1 stopper this year with no tyre issues, so that tells you how far he has come. Yet you have the pundits claiming Hamilton will be handicapped by the non-refuelling rules. Well I suppose they have to fill column inches and have a high number of clicks to satisfy the advertisers.

Last year Hamilton had to phone MW and RD to take control of the whole team and make things improve, wonder if this years they will also work under LH's leadership or if they are also going to take Button into account, if they ignore him as expected it's going to be a very difficult year for him.

Where do you get this nonsense from?

www.hatersmakeupshit.com

I think a major reason for Button leaving was the raw deal he got from Brawn. Just consider that he was one of the top earning F1 drivers, but did not get many points due to the BAR/Honda car. Then Honda quits, and he had a contract with them - but it seems, that the contract became meaningless. Instead of going to another team, he took a fraction of his income, and on just a one year deal (who knows if that was his idea or Brawn's). Then Brawn sells 75% of the team, for 185 million, dollars I think. And Brawn gets much of that, as did Fry, and some others I presume. Button however didn't get a penny. Maybe he was just pissed off about helping Ross Brawn get $150 million for 10 months work, with some pretty extraordinary driving, and yet he did not get any equity at all, despite giving up most of his annual income. It seems to me, Button got a bit annoyed about not getting a share of that huge payout, something that was very much due to his faultless driving in the first six races of the season.