24 replies to this topic

[Guy]

Jenson Button, will he be a Renault driver beyond 2002?

i wondered what anyones views on Jenson Buttons future were?

i have a feeling no matter how well he performs this year, he will be booted out in favour of Fernando Alonso.

Reason - Giancarlo Fisichella was turfed out despite his good performances. I know this was because Trulli was one of Flavios drivers (under contract) and Frank Williams pressured him into honouring Button's contract, but Alonso is one of Flavio's drivers (again under contract), so i see that Button will probably be turfed out.

I personally am a fan of Jenson's, been British and all, but where do you think he could go?i'm afraid his future looks bleak if he signs for these teams. Renault seems to be making real progress nowadays.

Jordan, if Sato underperoforms?
Sauber if Massa moves to Ferrari?
BAR if JV moves on?
Jaguar if Eddie leaves?

anyone else?

i just wanted to hear other peoples opinions.

Cheers

Guy
Sheffield
England

[MPea3]

i started a thread some time back when jenson changed management, offering th eopinion that his career might be soon over. i think i've turned out to be wrong. he seems quite focused and is now putting together the sort of entire weekend that was expected of him last year. with renault next year? perhaps not, but if he continues on this season as he has in the first 3 races, i think he'll certainly have a good ride somewhere.

[HardRock]

Renault no. Jaguar sounds like the best option since I don't think Irvine is going to
be around for long, but who knows.

[cjpani]

Please, God, let Jenson stay in Renault until 2004

cj

[gerry nassar]

If he continues like this - Id rather see him stay at Renault - perhaps to be joined by Alonso or JV.

[Ricardo F1]

I read on Sky Sports that Flavio is going to sit down with Jenson at Silverstone to determine his future - all in a positive way. Apparantly Frank wants JB to stay with Renault for another year or two and Flavio has been very impressed with JB's attitude and performances thus far.

As for Fisi - it seems that inviting him to any team turns that team into a disaster. I think the guy is jinxed never to get a decent drive!!!

[SeanValen]

Originally posted by Ricardo F1
I read on Sky Sports that Flavio is going to sit down with Jenson at Silverstone to determine his future - all in a positive way. Apparantly Frank wants JB to stay with Renault for another year or two and Flavio has been very impressed with JB's attitude and performances thus far.

As for Fisi - it seems that inviting him to any team turns that team into a disaster. I think the guy is jinxed never to get a decent drive!!!

Fisi will get a decent drive, sooner or later, the competition will have some seasons of equal type machinery, with little in it, and a good driver will be needed who's not in the top team, Fisi to the rescue:up: Part about equal type machinery is my optimistic prediction, but it's f1, so anything can happen and it usually does.

If Jenson is not in for Williams for 2003, Renault may be just as good or better, as they are eyeing race wins next year, and coming from Renault, I feel it could happen, then Jenson's departure from Williams in 2000 would seem good destiny for him, its possible.

[SeanValen]

Originally posted by gerry nassar
If he continues like this - Id rather see him stay at Renault - perhaps to be joined by Alonso or JV.

[Ricardo F1]

The article I mentioned . . .

Renault boss Flavio Briatore says he will discuss Jenson Button's future with Frank Williams at the British Grand Prix in July.

Williams has an option on Button for the 2003 season, but such as been the Briton's improvement in the early part of this campaign, Briatore has hinted he would like to keep him.

Button is the highest-placed home driver after successive fourth-placed finishes in the Malaysian and Brazilian Grands Prix, and Briatore says the 22-year-old has grown up since last year.

"It is very difficult now to say what will happen in 2003 because Williams have the option on him," said Briatore, who signed Button on a two-year loan deal last season.

"When we arrive in Silverstone then maybe we will decide something. But we have a different Jenson this year, he has changed completely, he concentrates - he is fantastic. We have a very good driver and he has done a great job."

Button could return to Williams next year if team bosses decide to dispense with the services of Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya.

But Montoya is widely tipped as Michael Schumacher's most likely challenger this season, and if Williams opt to stick with what they have, the all-new Jenson Button will be warmly welcomed back at Renault if Briatore's glowing tribute is anything to go by.

The pair rowed repeatedly last season, and the Italian said: "We had a lot of arguments, but I did it to help him because if I helped Jenson I helped the team with better results. I pay Jenson and I wanted him to perform. That's why I was hard because the guy had the possibility to be fantastic but we never saw that.

"He had a very good season in Williams and after that, especially for the British press, he was very popular. He had a lot of distractions and maybe he believed he was a top driver.

"But in any business you have to work very hard to succeed. He is a very intelligent guy, he understood he was going in the wrong direction, turned and now we have the true Jenson Button.

"When we started testing I immediately talked with my people and they said Jenson is a different guy. We don't recognise him anymore, he is much better. That was important because it meant that the job we did on him worked. He is different with people, with the engineers - he is a super guy. We don't fight anymore."

[Ghostrider]

If Jenson stays at Renault for 2003, either Trulli or Alonso will have been screwed by Flavio. Trulli has a multi-year deal I think and Alonso has almost been promised a race seat in 2003. Wonder whose career Flavio will destroy this time? If Jenson gets ousted from Renault, (which probably is pretty likely eventhough Flavio is praising Button right know) a good bet is either Jaguar or BAR.

One can never know with Flavio, he always has a hidden agenda when praising or criticizing his drivers.

[Cociani]

The sad thing with the formula nowadays is that there are so many talented and eager drivers and simple not enough seats to go around. I am not offering any simple solutions but there has just go to be a way to get more teams on teh grid. I used to think the twelve team rule was stupid and restrictive but it hasn't even come into play, they can't even get 12 teams. It is really too bad, I would love to see Alonso, Badoer, Verstappen, and Alesi driving, as well as many more. We could be in a situation where a two time WC, MH could come back next year and simply have no ride for him. On a possitive not it is good to see that there is such a wealth of driving talent available, just too bad so much of it is beint wasted.

[wati]

I hope Jenson stays and that Trulli is replaced with Alonso. Jarno seems to be very rough on his car.

Wattie

[HSJ]

Well, I've been saying that I'd like to see either NH or JB in the other Mac besides KR. So now that JB has been performing, and he is unlikely to go to Ferrari or Williams*, maybe he could replace DC at McLaren? Of course, have to wait and see whether JB can keep up his stuff, but I think he can. So it would be a shoot-out between NH and JB to impress McL this season. Oh, and the reason I keep talking about DC being replaced is that I think McL needs to invest in the future, I don't mean that I like to see DC leave per se.

Yes, I think Flavio will try to kick JB out after 02. On the other hand he's no longer the dictator he used to be and was even last year. Now His and Faure are really calling the shots, and they might not want to lose JB.

* The reason I think JB won't go to Ferrari is that MS won't want a too fast/strong teammate (not that JB has yet proven that, but he has potential). And Williams is set with RS and JPM. Though I don't mean that JB is ultimately inferior to RS or JPM, just that at this point Williams doesn't have compelling reason to switch their drivers. On the other hand, would FW allow JB to go to Ferrari or McLaren at all? Isn't it his call? When does the Williams-JB contract expire?

[HSJ]

BTW, most people here wrote JB off last season. Looks like I and other JB fans will have the last laugh...

[HSJ]

Originally posted by Ghostrider
If Jenson stays at Renault for 2003, either Trulli or Alonso will have been screwed by Flavio. Trulli has a multi-year deal I think and Alonso has almost been promised a race seat in 2003. Wonder whose career Flavio will destroy this time? If Jenson gets ousted from Renault, (which probably is pretty likely eventhough Flavio is praising Button right know) a good bet is either Jaguar or BAR.

One can never know with Flavio, he always has a hidden agenda when praising or criticizing his drivers.

I think Flavio didn't see JB's resurgence coming. It was supposed to be a simple thing to kick him out and bring FA in.

[SennasCat]

HSJ, intelligent and well thought out post.

I think that Jenson should and will stay at Renault. I was his biggest critic last year but he has really turned the corner relative to his team-mate. I think that Trulli would be the one with the ax poised over his head, given his already patchy racing reputation and unconvincing form this year.

I think DC will go to Jaguar next year, and maybe Jenson or Trulli depending on who boots who. I can't see Irvine lasting longer than the season, Lauda is fast running out of people to fire and I think the dela Rosa is only making up the numbers or is pulling in sponsorship or some such act.

[Guy]

I think that Trulli would be the one with the ax poised over his head, given his already patchy racing reputation and unconvincing form this year.

Hey steve, i'm a big Jenson Button fan, but i think its a bit unfair talking about Trulli's unconvincing form this year. He has outqulified Jenson twice, and has had failures in the races.

But i do agree that Button has been very impressive, especially in Malayia, he was superb

Guy

[fisichella_2001]

I have always seen Button as a Jordan driver, he seems to fit in with their image. It would be interesting to see him pair up with Fisi again, to see if he has indeed improved or whether the machinery is the real improvement. Alternatively, he would fit in at Jaguar, replacing the other Brit, Eddie Irvine, who seems to have lost his sparkle. Williams have too many other drivers to consider, and the same applies to Renault (unless Trulli fails to produce the results). Good to see Button beating Trulli for now, although I'm not sure how much longer this will last.

[KinetiK]

I hope not...! Not because I have anything against Jenson, I just want Jacques in there!

[logic]

Recent comments from Flavio might mean that JB doesn't drive for Renault third year.
FB has praised Button too much. They make big number when the decicion is to be made. FB is marketing Button for others he doesn't want Button 2003.

[Ghostrider]

Originally posted by logic
Recent comments from Flavio might mean that JB doesn't drive for Renault third year.
FB has praised Button too much. They make big number when the decicion is to be made. FB is marketing Button for others he doesn't want Button 2003.

That is good logical thinking.

If Flavio wanted to keep Button, he would never praise him so much, since more teams will be interested in him. I think Flavio decided last year, that he didn't want Button, and he will stand by that decision. Alonso will probably be brought in to drive alongside Trulli.

[AD]

As somebody said on this BB before, Jensons use of talent seems to be proportional to the competitiveness of his car. Anyways, if JB keeps driving like present he will have a good drive for next season, but Trulli and Alonso are 2 mega, mega drivers...

[polaris]

Somehow I dont think JPM and RS will be together at williams next year, one of them will move on, not necc to a lesser team, because they are too equal in performance. What that means is that I believe JB will be back with williams. If he doesnt do well this year, (even if to do with other teams catching up to Renault) he may well get the boot, and If he does really well, FW wlll want to take up his option.

[Guy]

polaris, do you mind explaining why williams would want to get rid of one of their drivers

because they are too equal in performance

?

surely thats a good thing, or do you think its better to have a situation like ferrari where they can concentrate on one driver.

i'm not having a go, i just wondered what your reason was thats all

cheers

G

[tifoso]

What happens to Button will be one of the more interesting aspects of silly season. Believing anything that comes out of Briatore's mouth is risky, IMHO.