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[What's Burning?]

I think Button is being a team player, and if that's the case, being the McLaren face he now has assumed, he's going to echo what the team wants him to say.

There's nothing insiduous about the exchanges, I didn't see it as needleing. I saw it as an ex driver saying he no longer wanted to play McLaren's game, and Button saying he's perfectly content playing McLaren's game because that's the job he singed up for. Although based on the quotes there's a contradiction of how he feels about the work within the same interview.

Me? I'd rather see the arguing on track fighting for position than in the press releases.

[What's Burning?]

© ESPN EMEA Ltd; Jenson Button would settle for a top ten grid position at the Australian Grand Prix after McLaren struggled for pace throughout free practice on Friday.

Button was 11th fastest and 2.4 seconds off the pace in second practice after the car visibly struggled over the bumps at Albert Park. He said the main problem was addressing the ride of the car and that he would be "very happy" just to make Q3 in qualifying.

"I think we've got to work on why the car is the way it is in terms of ride and downforce," he said. "The short runs weren't perfect, but we were 2.4s off the pace and I'd be surprised and very happy if we're in the top ten tomorrow. There's a lot of work to do and it's definitely not the place where we wanted to start the season, but all is not lost yet.

"We're very good at turning it around and we've had very bad times before and I don't think this is as bad as that. We need to look through the data today and that will help us understand where we are with the car and where we need to go with the car."

And he said points on Sunday would be a boost to the team at this stage.

"With the way things have gone today, I think points would be very positive. When things aren't going your way it's important to get the most from what you have. At the moment that's what it feels like, but I have only just got out the car. There's a lot of stuff we can do tonight and it's always tough for a racing driver when you step out the car, you're always a bit emotional. I'll be a lot more spritely tomorrow."

Button said sorting out the car's ride over the bumps was absolutely crucial for a good weekend.

"We have quite a few weaknesses with the car. Ride is a lot worse than what we expected and Martin's already pointed that out. We've been working with that today to try and improve the car around the ride, but we haven't really found a direction yet. That's something we'll be working on and hopefully we can find a good direction because the ride is so important with a Formula One car. If the car's moving around a lot then the downforce isn't necessarily working in the correct manner, so we've got to get the ride sorted."

[CookinFlat6]

I feel for Sergio

Button came into McLaren and made the team his, Lewis left because the team did not suit him. So button at least has the comfort of knowing that he built the team around himself.

Whereas poor Checo must surely be looking over at the Sauber team with a little bit of mixed feelings at present. Will be interesting if Sauber beat McLaren in the next few races

[Jabberwocky]

Builing a team around you is just another string to a drivers bow. Hopefully a lesson that Lewis has learnt and will try to apply at Mercedes. It is the same as what Schumacher and Alonso has done at Ferrari. Vettel at Redbull.

[CookinFlat6]

Its just not building a team around you though, its building an effective winning team out of the ingredients available. When Jenson built the Honda team around himself it didn't really go anywhere till the against the run of the mill 2009 season.
And now at McLaren he has started with the best ingredients available and so unless he builds it into a winning package sharpish, for him the building of a team around you will start to look more like an academic exercise with little practical use
And we cant say its the team that have let the driver down on one hand and then laud the driver for building that team around him on the other hand.

[Jabberwocky]

I am just saying that Lewis should learn from his I would say mistake but that is the wrong word... naivety... That to be a successful multi world champion like Alonso*, Schumacher, and Vettel you need to build the team around you. Lewis got out played in that area by Button at Mclaren. Maybe they are both very good at it and the disruption it caused in the team are why the results have not come.

Also Lewis was signed for the team when it was under control of Ron, from memory Jenson was the 1st driver signed up under Martin's rule. So now without Lewis the team is fully Martins.

*The Alonso at Renault. Even though Ferrari seem to be all for Alonso, he has not really had the results expected at his tenure at Ferrari.

[racechick]

I don't think Lewis was unable to lead the team at McLaren. I think he was cast in the role of precocious child . He was not going to suddenly be listened to when overruling the parent, maybe that was inflexible and shortsighted of Mclaren, but it's easy to see how the situation arose. You could see the frustration in Lewis often. Jenson played this situation. OK, fair enough, he weighed up the situation and grabbed the opportunity, but some of the ways he went about it I don't think were very nice. I hope Lewis will not adopt them at Mercedes, I don't think he will. Lead and guide the team yes, but not undermine or try to score political points at Rosberg's expense.

[What's Burning?]

I think the fundamental difference is that Lewis has the team rally around him where Jenson built a team around him. It's a character distinction, no different than the Senna/Prost senario. It's not 'new' to F1.

[CookinFlat6]

For me the problem with Whitmarshs mcLaren can be seen exactly in the Lewis/Jenson teambuilding stakes

Lewis was the incumbent fast Wc driver (similar to Alonso in Rons era but see the difference) and jenson was brought in by Whitmarsh above him despite no evidence of him being faster or better. Whitmarsh is too governed by an nepotistic, political and mutual back scratching approach. He brought Jenson in believing he had the experience to lead, rally build the team because lewis a kid lacked in this area.
He put operational concerns and marketing corporate demands before sporting reasons. He backed the wrong driver and built him up not because he was better but he looked more the part. That is plain wrong and he is now preparing to pay dearly for this.

Ron on the other hand had Alonso, brought in Lewis saw Lewis was matching him and just let them get on with it to Alonsos immense distress. Whitmarsh propbably looked at that and thought it mad and brought Button in to put Lewis in his place and have a driver he could relate to, have dinner with, asrse kiss sponsors with etc. Whitmarsh failed in his job as boss of a sproting concern. yes Lewis is hard work, baggage etc and Jenson will smile all day as long as yu pay him, but Whitmatsh should have worked harder on making the team follow Lewis and not taking the easy option of letting Jenson with his vast experience of intra team politics just take over and hijack the team. Now he will reap what has been sowed.

Same thing with Sam Michael, how can you bring in a guy from Williams that has no respect for whatever reasons then announce that he is your successor cos he wants it more than the guys already there who would be mad to overtly chase his top job, whereas again Sam would have been kissing arse all through dinner and blowing roses in Whitmarshs rear. How could a guy like Paddy sit there with the brains and listen to how some 'disturbingly good looking' young punk was gonna come in and politic his way to be his boss.

In the corporate world such a weak minded leader would have long been found out when the company results stagnated because they would when you place looks above ability. But Mclaren are more concerned with keeping sponsors sweet and putting on a show for them rather than results so hes gotten away with it. I bet the shareholders love him because of that side. But guess what hes fkd that up as well, bye bye Vodaphone (maybe not his fault) but guess who is going to suffer most when trying to continue running the firm and getting new sponsors in etc.

The injustice this team have done to Lewis makes my blood boil and he put up with it because of the guilt trip of 'we gave you a break'
And the gloating from Button and Whitmarsh as they tried to leverage Lewis' ability for their own corrupt ends was disgusting. The sneaky 'save fuel' stuff, the remarks from Whitmrash when either did well/badly etc etc

Only the blind didnt see there was something wrong and guess what, if somethings rotten and you paint over it, soon yu run out of paint then the rott is gonna be beyond belief when its exposed

Which is what we have here, Whitmarsh has turned the team into a sham, tried to build up some uber cool Brit James Bond team with lame duck button as the poster boy, Lewis didnt fit, (only his setup) and Rons hands are tied because he is desperate to retain control and not do the sensible thing - be bought out by a firm like Mercedes.

Rant over, and before the usual people start complaining and screaming conspiracy, let them fault anything i have said here please, dont just say 'you talking crap' prove it or shut up already

[Hammer278]

^ Great f'in post.

[Nin-Chin]

Maybe Hamiton's move was worthwhile,Mercedes have better car than McLaren,if they beat both McLaren cars this weekend,I'll be happy ,no offense McLaren fans,but they don't really look like a top-tier team anymore

[PartsaS]

I know what happened, the mechanics sabotaged the cars to protest for the shorts ban.....

[racechick]

Cookie, my sentiments entirely!! I can't get over the anger at the way Lewis was treated/ managed over the past couple of years, neither can i really understand the logic of it. I can't forget Whitmarsh smiling through gritted teeth when Lewis won and the repeated 'lets talk about Button'.and all the other stuff. It's why I sometimes can't hold back when I start about Button. I apologise to Button fans because I've nothing against any Button fans at all, or Mclaren fans. I'm sad about Mclaren, but that just fuels my anger towards Button and Whitmarsh at all the wasted opportunity. In the case of Whitmarh, I'm even starting to feel sorry for him he just got things so wrong. It's beyond belief to me . So yes, as Cookie says. We reap what we sow. I've read somewhere(from someone watching things at the track, and interviews etc) that he's looking a beaten man, stressed out, as well he might, and I'm torn, half of me is sad for him and the other half thinks 'serves you right'. I don't want him to be stressed out and ill though.

[f1boy]

Great post CookinFlat6. 100% agree.

Anyone who takes Button over Lewis is a complete clown.

Whitmarsh is losing the plot imo. But then, McLaren aren't about winning championships these days so I guess he doesn't care whether Button has grip or not.

Lewis is far better with Mercedes...i.e a team who want to win and a driver with the natural abilty to hammer everyone on the grid.

[Jabberwocky]

I think you guys give Whitmarsh far too much credit. I do not think for one moment think that he is some evil genius that set all this in motion.

If you where running an F1 team and you could sign the newly crowned world champion would you? Whatever you think of the driver, he will bring millions of pounds on sponsorship revenue. Also as a world champion he is going to be able to drive an F1 car well (no matter what any armchair enthusiast says)

I also to not think that Whitmarsh set out to create the "Button eutopia" that you believe is Mclaren, the team would of organically evolved over time. Just like when you where is school and you drifted closer and further away from different friends at different times.

As for Sam Micheal, I think that Whitmarsh realized that Williams has given Sam a bit too much responsibility for him to cope with at that time. So they brought him into the fold, I am sure that the Pit Stops to the end of last year from Mclaren where outstanding. As for him being the successor to Whitmarsh, what happened at Williams is a cautionary tail.

I also agree with Nin-Chin Mclaren are not on the ball at the moment, is this the new suspension they are trying to get a handle on or something more deep rooted only time will tell.