Lewis Hamilton has come to the defence of his old team-mate Jenson Button and told McLaren that they need a new car not a new driver.
Responding to recent and mounting speculation that Button will lose his seat to Fernando Alonso next year, Hamilton said: “Jenson is better than most drivers here. He’s a great driver. So it doesn’t correlate. If I had a team I would want him in it. He’s a great asset for any team. It’s not that McLaren need a better driver. There are not many out there. They need a better car.”
McLaren and their new engine supplier, Honda, are desperate to land Alonso, who is still probably the best all-round driver in Formula One, though they have not managed to sign him yet.
Button’s manager, Richard Goddard, said on Thursday: “I spoke to Ron [Dennis, the McLaren principal] this morning and he hasn’t confirmed that Fernando has signed. And he says he still hasn’t decided about who will fill the other seat. He’s been completely open with me.”
But assuming McLaren do sign Alonso, Button would be likely to lose out to his younger team-mate Kevin Magnussen. Money, as ever, is a factor. Button earns an estimated £10m whereas Magnussen is thought to be on £500,000.
Button refused to confirm that the race in Abu Dhabi on 23 November would be his last. But there was still a suggestion of the valedictory in his body language and in what he said when he spoke outside the McLaren motorhome on Thursday.
“It’s a strange situation,” he said. “McLaren need to make a decision. This is a massive part of my life, Formula One and motor racing has been. And it’s not going to stop. It will continue.
“I just don’t know where that’s going to be right now. I never feel like I’m being pushed out of the sport because I’m definitely going to be in it in some shape or form, and it’s going to be a massive challenge, and very exciting.”
Button, 34, says his likely departure is not age-related. “Ron told me I could do it for ever, never let age be a factor. That’s what he told me last year. Age is not a factor in this sport. The cars are getting easier to drive, physically.
“Mentally and technically, probably not. But physically we could all drive with one hand these days. It’s not a challenge. The only track that is a challenge is Singapore. It’s got easier and easier over the years.”
Button is the most experienced driver in F1, with 264 grands prix. He won the world championship in 2009 and joined McLaren the following year.
He added: “The bit that hurts more than anything is not having a quick car. Two years of not winning is too long. Our last win was here two years ago, and that is a long time for a team like McLaren that has won world championships and is used to winning grands prix.”
