After winning the championship with Brawn GP in 2009, Jenson Button moved to McLaren to partner with Lewis Hamilton. The then team boss Ross Brawn had told Button that it was crazy to drive alongside Hamilton and that he was making a mistake.
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However, the British racing driver was not on the same side as his boss and found the Woking team to be perfect for him. When he was lured by the opportunities the team offered.
Jenson Button was advised against supporting Lewis Hamilton at McLaren
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Button had won the 09 ‘championship and many expected him to stay. The team didn’t offer a contract for the following year, however, so he turned to McLaren for a ride in the 2010 season. But many individuals like Brawn didn’t think this was the right move for Button as it would be a challenge to have Lewis as a teammate.
Formula 1 F1 – Great Britain Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Great Britain – July 18, 2021 Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Max Verstappen of Red Bull ahead of the race pool via REUTERS / Lars Baron
On the high-performance podcast, Button said, as quoted by the GP blog, “People said joining McLaren alongside Lewis Hamilton was the craziest move, and even Ross Brawn said that.”
“I told the team that I was leaving at the end of 2009. I spoke to Nick Fry, who basically just yelled at me – he was one of the bosses at Ross Brawn at the time. “
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND: Santander Ambassador Jenson Button is pictured during the 20th anniversary of Formula Student competition at the Silverstone Circuit in Northampton, England. (Photo by Patrik Lundin / Getty Images for Santander)
“I remember going to his office and telling him I was going and he just yelled at me and I basically just started laughing because it was a really awkward situation.”
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“I kind of felt with him how aggressive he was. He just looked at me and said, ‘Why are you laughing at me’? It was the situation and it was exactly what I wasn’t expecting. ” [h/t gpfans.com]
“I told Ross and he was very friendly and said, ‘I think you’re making a big mistake walking upstairs next to Lewis,'” concluded Button.
What else did Button say about his partnership with Hamilton?
If Button wasn’t getting the most out of the car while at McLaren, he’d ask the team to build one that would suit him. Because of this, he believes Hamilton was annoyed during their time as teammates.
As quoted by PlanetF1, he said, “I jump in a car and if it doesn’t suit my style it just doesn’t work for me. I am not one of those drivers. I need a car that was developed around me and the support of the team around me to develop it in my direction. “
SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA – Jenson Button from Great Britain and McLaren Honda in the garage during practice for the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Dan Istitene / Getty Images)
“I did that and it worked for me. I think that hurt Lewis a little mentally at certain times when we were together, ”concluded Button.
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Do you think Button’s tactics helped McLaren Hamilton become a better driver? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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The post Button recalls Brawn’s insane reaction to his decision to join Lewis Hamilton at McLaren F1 first appeared on monter-une-startup.
