Collective thought by Adam Norris:
Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button is at the centre of all the headlines for the sport at the moment, as his contract has run out at Brawn GP. The decision for Button on where to move has been made extremely interesting by the power shift created by Mercedes shifting shares from McLaren to Brawn GP, now to be known as Mercedes GP.
Button took a £5 million voluntary pay cut to help the then, newly branded Brawn GP team at the start of last season after Honda pulled out of the sport. Now being World Champion he has reportedly asked Mercedes GP for £8 million a year, some reports suggest Jenson has indeed been offered that amount and now with the arrival of Mercedes backing to the team is asking for more. Others state that Jenson has only been offered £5 million, which could be linked to rumours that Mercedes GP would prefer an all German driver line up next season, with lower wages offered to the World Champion to help force a move away to a team such as McLaren.
Jenson has been in talks with McLaren, who have reportedly accepted to meet his £8 million wage demand, but a move to the team could see sparks fly as 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton would likely retain his favourable position in the team having been groomed by the team for years.
The options would appear to be wide open for Button with offers from his competitive team from last season who he has already shown loyalty, and from the McLaren team who have always been at or near the top of the standings.
Please leave your related comments, for example where do you think Jenson should go & why?
Filed under: Off the record, Brawn GP, Button, F1, Formula 1, Jenson, Jenson Button, McLaren, Mercedes GP
Jenson’s going to go to McLaren – surely! If he doesn’t act quick then Kimi could decide to throw a spanner in the works and drive for less or worse still, drive for free (under the Ferrari deal Kimi will nett £10m from the outgoing contract termination) and that could leave good old JB without a top drive.
Ignore the big money at Manor Jenson (shhhh – it’s a secret!) and move to McLaren…
Hmm, it certainly does present an interesting dichotomy having Lewis and Jenson at the same team, but I think the egos are less of a concern. McLaren quite clearly demonstrated that Lewis is the preferred driver, even with the likes of Alonso, although I think there’s much more to that dispute than the media were privy to.
For me the interesting factor for 2010 will be the setup of the car, because Jenson joined McLaren so late in development, and therefore the MP4-26 (I think that’s right) is probably tailored towards his tail-happy driving style. Jenson prefers a slightly understeering setup, and may therefore struggle within the adjustment parameters. However I have just read that McLaren’s Paddy Lowe insists that each car is designed as neutral as possible, meaning both drivers start with a clean sheet and ‘bend’ the car to their liking.
Whatever happens, 2010 is shaping up to be quite a season…
Hi by the way!!!!
Nick