Button thinks the leader’s suit is not too big for him
Jenson Button will be the natural leader of McLaren in 2013. A role that does not scare him, far from it. The Englishman is pleased to be able to work with the team to ensure that the next MP4-28 suits his driving style.
In 2013, Jenson Button will start his 4th season with McLaren. With Lewis Hamilton leaving for Mercedes and the arrival of young Sergio Pérez, the Englishman will be the natural leader of the team, a role he will embrace with pleasure. « It is not the first time. When I was with BAR and Jacques Villeneuve left, it was exactly the same situation. I was there to lead the team, and it’s something I look forward to and a situation in which I give my best. »
When he arrived in Woking, celebrated with his world champion title, many thought he would be overshadowed by Hamilton. Yet, in three years the record is almost ex æquo both in terms of points scored (672 for Button against 657 for Hamilton) and in the number of victories (8 to 10). Far from being dominated, Button managed to make a place for himself in the team. « I can really build the team around me and lead it in a direction I like with the car. We all drive differently. I need a car that I can develop and feel comfortable with, and I think no one can do a better job than me in this situation. If the car is neutral, it doesn’t work for me. »
With Hamilton, McLaren loses a very fast driver in the race, but also in the qualifying exercise. A field in which Button has been significantly behind his teammate with only one pole, achieved at Spa-Francorchamps in 2012. « Lewis is very fast and clearly has that speed that few have – especially over one lap – but as we know, Formula 1 is not just about one lap. It’s a race, and that’s where we score points. He was a difficult teammate in terms of speed but also a teammate who was pleasant to work with and who developed the car. »
A collaboration that allowed Button to learn certain things and improve, but the 2009 World Champion thinks that these three years together have been beneficial for both drivers. Even if he says otherwise, we clearly learned from each other and it helped us improve as drivers. I think he learned a lot this year in terms of understanding that it’s not just about one lap and in terms of tire management.
