FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[EwanM]

McLaren keeping their distance from impatient Jenson Button
• World champion seeks £5m pay rise to £8m
• Bernie Ecclestone brands Brawn team 'arrogant'


Jenson Button's growing impatience to secure a better pay deal with Brawn GP became clear yesterday with the new Formula One world champion's adviser hinting darkly that the British driver may look to another team. That has fuelled speculation that he could switch to McLaren, though Lewis Hamilton's team appear unlikely to sign Button.

Button is seeking a £5m pay rise to £8m after taking a pay cut to ensure the future of Brawn after Honda pulled out of Formula One before the start of the campaign. Brawn, however, have yet to offer Button new terms.

His manager, Richard Goddard, said: "Brawn could have sorted Jenson out weeks ago and none of this would be going on. We've been trying to agree terms with them. He's made it clear he wants to stay and, had they agreed a contract, there would be no speculation. People will speculate that anyone with a free seat next year will be offering Jenson a drive. That speculation won't die until Brawn offer him new terms.

"He has displayed his great talent in a good car this year. A lot of quality seats may still be available, so it's down to Brawn to make us an offer."

The Formula One commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone, also seemed to display some impatience with Brawn as he commented on the situation. "They are being a little bit arrogant considering how long they have been in Formula One," Ecclestone said. "They should remember they have only been in the sport 10 minutes, really."

Mercedes-Benz, McLaren's engine partner, was quick to distance itself from any link with Button, however. The car maker's director of motor sport, Norbert Haug, said: "There are no current negotiations with Jenson Button but I do understand that people in England are dreaming of an English team with two world champions in the cockpits. However, dreams don't always come true."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/oct/24/formula-one-jenson-button

[FerrariFan63]

Button to Toyota then?

[Frosty]

To be fair i don't think he is worth £8 million a year on driver skill alone that's just my personal opinion but you now have to consider that he is the new world champion and just in terms of PR value that makes him worth at least £8 million. What he is asking for is no where near as much as the likes of Alonso, Kimi and Lewis.

[bud]

pfff hell of a lot better value than what Kimi is demanding!

[f1ea]

I wont put it past them for trying though.... Jenson is a worthy WDC. in my opinion lewis never deserved his. I dont see why mclaren wont lobby the guy since they know brawn keeping tight on the purse strings

Why not?
The race was very close on both those championships, and the competition was between well-rated fellas. Whoever won/lost was by a tiny margin or a very simple mistake... that's what makes the championship when there is no wash out.

[ivey]

What are drivers like Kimi, Lewis, Massa and Alonso getting at the moment? Then I could compare these.

If we're talking about driving styles and car setup, then Kimi and Lewis are not so different, or are they?

[McLamilton]

Look I don't thin anyone on here believes jenson is actually going to go to mclaren right? So no need to froth about it.

I wont put it past them for trying though.... Jenson is a worthy WDC. in my opinion lewis never deserved his. I dont see why mclaren wont lobby the guy since they know brawn keeping tight on the purse strings

What are your reason for saying Lewis didn`t deserve his world title????

You'll learn that with Tony he is an obsessive compulsive Lewis Hamilton hater. So basically because he hates the guy so much it gives himself reason to say that he doesnt deserve the championship. Even though having more points than anyone else in a season where the Stewards would take as many points away as they could and still didn't stop him from winning the title. If you ask me Lewis is most deserving.

Some people are just sore losers, I suppose, and are jealous that they are not Lewis. After all, it is no mean feat to become the world champion at age 23. And to think that, as a rookie, he came so near to winning the title. I think that Lewis has a bright future, with the world at his feet.


Though, I don't think that Jenson will join Lewis at McLaren. I somehow suspect that he will choose to remain at Brawn.

But, no doubt, it sounds like a mouth-watering prospect, if this does happen, as Britain's two current best drivers will be united in the same team. But then again, teams consisting of two top drivers have never really done very well, so it might just backfire instead.

Then again, only time will tell.

[scotty]

But then again, teams consisting of two top drivers have never really done very well, so it might just backfire instead.

They have done... mainly in the 80's though. Prost/Lauda, Mansell/Piquet, and of course Prost Senna...

[Gaz]

But then again, teams consisting of two top drivers have never really done very well, so it might just backfire instead.

They have done... mainly in the 80's though. Prost/Lauda, Mansell/Piquet, and of course Prost Senna...

Ferrari 2007 and they also didn't do too bad in 2008 they won the constructors

[EwanM]

Indeed. Although the 80s are the most publicised you could argue it was a regular occurance. Moss/Fangio, Andretti/Peterson, Villeneuve/Shecktar, Villeneuve/Hill, off the top of my head

[darwin dali]

Indeed. Although the 80s are the most publicised you could argue it was a regular occurance. Moss/Fangio, Andretti/Peterson, Villeneuve/Shecktar, Villeneuve/Hill, off the top of my head

Scheckter my friend, Scheckter.

[EwanM]

Schecktar indeed. Sorry its hard updating this on your phone.

[McLaren Fan]

The root cause, not for the first time, is one man: Texasmr2 - a moderator. Rather than a keeper of the peace, he is a troublemonger.

To be fair you threw the first punch by calling him stupid, it was his mistake being a mod to rise to it however.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7388

But your correct DD Hamilton made more errors in 2008 than Button did this year. However its poor comparison in my opinion, considering Jenson has been in the sport for 10 years and Lewis for 2.

It is a perfect comparison: they drive at the same time in the same series and I compare their actual performances, not their POTENTIAL performances if they had the same amount of experience. There's no shame in acknowledging that experience makes a driver a better driver. There are enough other factors with getting older that usually tip the balance towards the negative, so why take out one of the few positive ones from the equation?

I cannot agree. Button is not so old that age will have affected this driving capabilities.

[darwin dali]

Schecktar indeed. Sorry its hard updating this on your phone.

Scheckter, Scheckter, Scheckter

[McLaren Fan]

From autosport.com:

McLaren not interested in bidding war

By Glenn Freeman Saturday, October 24th 2009, 09:14 GMT

McLaren is not interested in being part of a bidding war for any driver over the winter, according to Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug.

Several high-profile drivers have been linked to the seat alongside Lewis Hamilton at the team next year, including Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Rosberg and even world champion Jenson Button.

But with teams like Toyota also understood to be chasing a top-line driver for its 2010 line-up, Haug says that McLaren will not consider any driver that is more interested in a big-money deal than race-winning car.

"Kimi is an option, but there are lots of options around," Haug told AUTOSPORT. "One thing is for sure though - guys who are out for money are not the right ones for us - whoever it may be.

"I won't name anyone, but we want to have full commitment from someone who is success-oriented, not someone saying 'I am a big name, pay me a lot of money and I will drive for you.'

"The team has to be convinced that a driver is hungry, motivated, focused, and that his first thought is not to get more money."

Haug believes that McLaren's form in the second half of the season proves that it will be a regular contender for wins again next year.

"We have shown our level of competitiveness - Lewis has scored race wins and podiums, and beaten the guys that have been going for the title this year," he added.

"It shows that we are going in the right direction. We have stabilised this year, and we have a seat to offer in a race-winning car. There are probably three, four, five teams maximum that can offer that."