Autosport - 5 March 2015 | Page 33

BUTTON AND MCLAREN WorldMags.net and ready to take on Alonso After coming close to being dropped at the end of last year, the 2009 world champion is back for more with McLaren. But what can we expect from the popular British favourite as he lines up alongside Alonso? By BEN ANDERSON WorldMags.net 33 S BLOXHAM/LAT Button has new focus: working with Alonso TEE/LAT “What do you mean I’m taking too long to decide on 2015?” STALEY/LAT not be such a bad idea after all… But once Button accepted the imperfect situation, and just got on with the business of driving, things took a different turn. He put in a superb performance in last October’s sodden Japanese Grand Prix, then (once the following weekend’s Russian GP was out of the way) took some time off and headed to the beach. He arrived for November’s United States race rejuvenated – relaxed about his future and determined to simply enjoy his racing. Button knuckled down and worked even more effectively within the shortcomings of the MP4-29 – a car that was (arguably necessarily) too conservatively conceived after McLaren’s disastrous efforts to go ‘radical’ in a vain effort to halt the Red Bull juggernaut in 2013. McLaren undoubtedly improved the MP4-29 through last season, but admits its potential was limited. Button, who has often been criticised for being too picky when it comes to the handling characteristics he demands from a car, looked to be finding some benefit from being a little more flexible behind the wheel. In any case, the result is that Button now has a new, two-year deal with McLaren-Honda, and McLaren-Honda now has the most experienced line-up on the grid at its disposal. Two drivers with 500 grand prix starts between them will prove invaluable for Honda as it returns to Formula 1 after a six-season hiatus, and works to overcome the deficit to rival manufacturers that have already run the hard yards in developing engines for F1’s new V6 hybrid turbo formula. Early testing of the ‘radical’ McLaren-Honda MP4-30 shows that experience will be invaluable. Amid much aggressive rhetoric about the potential of the package, McLaren-Honda has endured a disappointing gestation. It began with recurring electrical problems when the Honda engine first ran in the back of an interim 2014 PREVIEW s the final weeks of 2014 loomed, Jenson Button’s long career as a Formula 1 driver looked just about over. Christmas was fast approaching and McLaren still hadn’t decided whether he or rookie team-mate Kevin Magnussen would be retained to drive alongside Fernando Alonso, as the Woking team prepared to enter a new era as works partner to returning engine manufacturer Honda. The wait was long and arduous, and took its toll on Button, but (eventually) he received his renewed contract. Now that he’s been brought back from the brink, it’s time to repay the faith McLaren has shown in his abilities. On the evidence of last season, McLaren’s decision really shouldn’t have taken so long. Magnussen did a good job in his rookie season, and he will eventually become a fine grand prix driver, but Button brought home the bulk of McLaren’s world championship points in 2014, and there is no evidence yet of his driving powers fading as he reaches his mid-thirties. After much internal debate, McLaren eventually came around to this way of thinking and decided that having two experienced drivers in its racing line-up (while demoting Magnussen to the role of reserve) was the best move for its immediate future. On announcing his team’s 2015 driver line-up to the world, McLaren chairman Ron Dennis enigmatically referred to “concerns” the team held about Button last year – concerns Button clearly convinced Dennis he was prepared and able to alleviate. Whatever these ‘concerns’ related to exactly (money, performance, both?), certainly Button looked unhappy at times last year. After two seasons of driving uncompetitive machinery (remember, he won the final race of 2012 in Brazil), you could forgive him for losing a bit of his cool internally, and wondering if maybe following Mark Webber into the World Endurance Championship might SEASON A   MARCH 5 2015 AUTOSPORT.COM 33