Coulthard and Priaulx heap praise on Button

For many observers, Jenson Button was the sensation of 2011 on the driver side, surpassing Lewis Hamilton in the overall standings, which had never happened to the 2008 world champion, and establishing himself as the only real rival to an ultra-dominant Sebastian Vettel this season. Fast, the Briton particularly utilized his race intelligence and gathered around him a technical team that even his teammate recently envied.

Nothing surprising for a world champion, one might think, but that would be forgetting that on the evening of his victory in 2009, the Brawn driver had sparked comments criticizing his ‘shopkeeper’ management at the end of the season, his lack of flair, and suggesting that he would probably fall into the F1 oblivion as a mere hiccup mainly due to a fortunate change in regulations. By deciding, just crowned with world laurels, to join McLaren and face Lewis Hamilton, many predicted blood and tears for him, which, after two years of cohabitation, ultimately flowed from the side where it was least expected.

For some, Jenson Button is finally being judged at his true worth, while for others, the Brit has transformed from chrysalis to butterfly in less than two seasons: « I think he’s a better driver now than when he won the title with Brawn » says David Coulthard at the Autosport International Show. « When he made the difference in terms of points and then his rivals started to catch up with him, he made mistakes, like a tennis player missing an easy smash. Now, seeing how he has performed, he is gaining confidence all the time. Now he’s reached the stage where, when the conditions are toughest, he’s the guy they all look to. It’s quite impressive to be in that situation. »

For his part, Andy Priaulx, a triple WTCC champion and friend of Button, praises his compatriot’s success in an interview with the Press Association Sport: He joined McLaren with the reputation of being less quick than Lewis, and I’m very happy to say that he quickly silenced all the critics. I always knew he would, but it’s nice to let the results speak for themselves. He has the utmost respect for Lewis and knows that he is extremely fast, but Jenson is also fast, and intelligent, and you need both to win races and championships. I have enjoyed watching him thrive at McLaren and I told him last year that I thought he would continue to improve, and he has proven to me that this is indeed the case.

But the Briton assures that we should expect the 2009 World Champion to be even stronger this season: « Regarding the upcoming season, he is very positive. Mentally, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so well, especially in the last six months, and I’ve known him since he was 21. I’m sure he will be just as strong, if not even stronger. »