Can Jenson Button Become WDC?

Nin13 · Post by **Nin13** » 31 Mar 2009, 12:46

Here is some data that I have collected.

Season | World Champion | Won 1st Race
1990 Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna
1991 Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna
1992 Nigel Mansell Nigel Mansell
1993 Alain Prost Alain Prost
1994 Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher
1995 Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher
1996 Damon Hill Damon Hill
1997 Jacques Villeneuve David Coulthard*
1998 Mika Häkkinen Mika Häkkinen
1999 Mika Häkkinen Eddie Irvine*
2000 Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher
2001 Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher
2002 Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher
2003 Michael Schumacher David Coulthard*
2004 Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher
2005 Fernando Alonso Giancarlo Fisichella*
2006 Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso
2007 Kimi Räikkönen Kimi Räikkönen
2008 Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton
2009 Jenson Button ?????????

On 15 out of last 19 occasions driver who won 1st race has won the WDC that year.
Can Jenson Button become WDC this year??
Odds are in his favour.

Plus Jenson Button is smooth and quick driver, and I personally believe he can win.........

Post by **Nuppiz** » 31 Mar 2009, 13:39

I read this very same thing in Iltalehti, a popular Finnish newspaper. Yes, the odds are in his favour, but F1 is always full of surprises :mrgreen:

rffp · Post by **rffp** » 31 Mar 2009, 13:49

Here in Brazil, we are asking if Rubens Barrichello can win the title! I have my doubts if he can actually beat Button (tough) and if the other teams will catch up to Brawn threatening the Bracley team.
Of course, that doesn't mean I can cheer for our veteran and see all of those who harshly criticized him since 1995 eating up their words!

But answering the original question, yes I believe Button can do the job as long as FIA doesn't rule Brawn diffusers illegal.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 31 Mar 2009, 13:50

It would be nice if Jenson won the WDC, especially after he was completely overshadowed by Hamilton in the last two seasons. It would certainly prove that he was right to stick with BAR/Honda all these years. Jenson is indeed a smooth and quick driver, which was evident in both of his GP victories. I wouldn't put any money on him, though, until we know the outcome of the diffuser appeal.

Cynon · Post by **Cynon** » 31 Mar 2009, 15:47

It would be fantastic if Jenson Button won the WDC -- because look what he's won twice: Reject of the Year. To rub salt in the wound, it would also be fantastic if Lewis Hamilton won Reject of the Year. Sadly, that is hypothetical seeing as Nelson Piquet has already decided that if he's going to win anything, it's Reject of the Year.

Post by **Nuppiz** » 31 Mar 2009, 16:13

Indeed, it would be nice for a long while to see a champion that wasn't even nearly considered as a future Champion before the first race. Think about Häkkinen. One win (and even that thanks to Villeneuve's "generosity" in Jerez) before the 1998 Season. And we all know what happened that season. Also, the McLaren of 1998 was quite superior, similar to what Brawn GP seems to be at the moment. Quite a far-fetched comparison, but fitting enough, eh? :mrgreen:

Ide · Post by **Ide** » 31 Mar 2009, 16:24

I think that as long as Brawn avoid the diffuser being banned, and the lack of mid-season testing means that the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and BMW can't catch them quick enough, then I do think Jenson is in with a real chance of taking the World Championship providing that he and Barrichello don't constantly end up taking points off of each other like Mansell and Piquet in '86, allowing Prost to sneak the title.
Besides, people are saying that Ferrari and McLaren have the money to catch up with Brawn in development - surely if money was the key to development, Toyota would be a threat to Brawn as well. I think it's experience that will count this year, both with teams and drivers.

FullMetalJack · Post by **FullMetalJack** » 31 Mar 2009, 18:42

I hope so, as long as the diffuser doesn't get banned, the Brawn BGP001 should be as dominant as the Ferrari F2002 or F2004.

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 31 Mar 2009, 22:14

I think too much emphasis is being put on the Brawn's diffuser. While it is an important part, it's not their one super power and removing it would be akin to giving kryptonite to Superman. After all, Barrichello says that when Kovalainen tagged him going into the first corner, the McLaren driver mangled his diffuser, and yet he was still competitive even with it in a damaged condition.

Personally, I think Button can do it. I recall Renault's Pay Symonds once saying that Button was every bit as talented and capable as Lewis Hamilton, but with the difference being that Button has never really had the best car under him. I am, however, filled with cautious optimism. Button's first clear race win (let's face it: luck and audacity had a lot to do with his Hungarian victory) is fantastic, but there's still sixteen more races on the calendar. Being a Button fan since he began racing, I obviously want to see him take the title, but I'm not writing off the competition just yet. Brawn might have offered Formula One A New Hope, but it's only a atter of time before The Empire Strikes Back.

Henrique · Post by **Henrique** » 01 Apr 2009, 00:47

I hope Button fights for the title at least until the British grand prix, to see some opposition for the Lewisteria there

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 01 Apr 2009, 00:51

Henrique wrote:I hope Button fights for the title at least until the British grand prix, to see some opposition for the Lewisteria there

I just want to see the Hamilton fans get their come-uppance. A lot of them jumped ship from the SS Button the moment it was announced McLaren would be signing on Lewis Hamilton. Okay, so Button's 2007/2008 campaign was severely hinderded by his car, but a lot of those fans were very quick to abandon him.

Stuart · Post by **Stuart** » 01 Apr 2009, 11:38

The simple answear is yes. There is no doubt Jenson is good enough to win the championship. The question is will Brawn stay competitive? It is crucial that Jenson get's three or hopefully more wins in the first half of the season to stand a chance. I don't think that Barrichello will give Jenson much hassle, he is simply too erratic.

I think were know if Jenson can win by mid season. Hopefully this will quash the Lewis Hamilton histeria suffocating the sport (at least in the UK) at the moment. I couldn't stomach going to the British Grand Prix this year. I couldn't face paying huge prices for a seat amongst delusional fans... Oddly it seems different to when I was there for Mansell mania... Back then we knew he wasn't the best but loved him for just driving the wheels off it in a ballsy fashion.

As a Ferrari fan I would love to see Kimi win but I think this could be Jensons year and to be honest I think I would be just as happy to see that.

Stuart
- http://www.formula1-blog.co.uk

Lainey · Post by **Lainey** » 01 Apr 2009, 17:18

I think he can. I think he has the talent, and I think he is better than Barrichello. However, nobody noes what the FIA diffuser ruling will be, and the Red Bulls look fast.

I worry that Brawn may fall off the pace as the season progresses, as they won't have the resources to keep pace with development. Good thing for them the season starts with three consecutive races.

Henrique · Post by **Henrique** » 01 Apr 2009, 17:47

Lainey wrote:They won't have the resources to keep pace with development.

They'll just need to beg to Richard Branson for that.

captainhappy · Post by **captainhappy** » 01 Apr 2009, 22:15

Lainey wrote:I worry that Brawn may fall off the pace as the season progresses, as they won't have the resources to keep pace with development. Good thing for them the season starts with three consecutive races.

I'll tell ya what, even if they do fall off the pace, 60 points to start the season for Jenson is a heck of a head start! But a more interesting note is how Rubens and Jenson will get on as a title fight comes to the fore! I really don't see either of them as having a leg up, there is no #1 in this team.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 02 Apr 2009, 16:38

Henrique wrote:
Lainey wrote:They won't have the resources to keep pace with development.

They'll just need to beg to Richard Branson for that.

I don't think so. Money's gonna run out, probably, and they just had to fire 245 employees. Not nearly resources enough.

Cynon · Post by **Cynon** » 02 Apr 2009, 16:59

I think Brawn is banking on doing very very well early on in the season so they can pick up sponsorship for the rest of the season. Virgin has jumped on the bandwagon, I think it's a matter of time before they'll pick something else up.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 02 Apr 2009, 17:06

Cynon wrote:I think Brawn is banking on doing very very well early on in the season so they can pick up sponsorship for the rest of the season. Virgin has jumped on the bandwagon, I think it's a matter of time before they'll pick something else up.

Think anyone out there has the money?

UberOwnage · Post by **UberOwnage** » 04 Apr 2009, 14:08

Why not?

alvaro3d · Post by **alvaro3d** » 04 Apr 2009, 15:22

Jenson probably kick asses like Schumi 2004 the Brawn is looking very strong and Jenson is driving neat

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 04 Apr 2009, 16:57

UberOwnage wrote:Why not?

Have you heard of credit crunch? Did you notice everyone seems to have precious little sponsorships as of late? Did you notice Brawn had to make redundant (AKA, fire) one third of the employees after the victory in Oz?

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 04 Apr 2009, 22:55

CarlosFerreira wrote:Have you heard of credit crunch? Did you notice everyone seems to have precious little sponsorships as of late? Did you notice Brawn had to make redundant (AKA, fire) one third of the employees after the victory in Oz?

They did that because they had too many employees, a hangover from the Honda days. The number of people they have now is relative for a privateer team.

Besides, Virgin have apparently signed a deal with Brawn where they are able to sell space on the car for advertising; Malboro apparently have the same deal with Ferrari. I think this can be a good thing, because it lets the team concentrate on the races and Branson an Virgin handle the sponsorship. Given Branson's eye as a buinessman - despite what he said after the Australian Grand Prix, luck has very little to do with his success - I think that side of the deal is in very safe hands.

Post by **Nuppiz** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:10

Well, now he's got two wins up his sleeve, and in the past years the driver who has won the two first GP's back to back has also won the WDC. But it's still up to both money and other teams' performance to decide whether or not he'll become one.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:17

Captain Hammer wrote:
CarlosFerreira wrote:Have you heard of credit crunch? Did you notice everyone seems to have precious little sponsorships as of late? Did you notice Brawn had to make redundant (AKA, fire) one third of the employees after the victory in Oz?

They did that because they had too many employees, a hangover from the Honda days. The number of people they have now is relative for a privateer team.

Besides, Virgin have apparently signed a deal with Brawn where they are able to sell space on the car for advertising; Malboro apparently have the same deal with Ferrari. I think this can be a good thing, because it lets the team concentrate on the races and Branson an Virgin handle the sponsorship. Given Branson's eye as a buinessman - despite what he said after the Australian Grand Prix, luck has very little to do with his success - I think that side of the deal is in very safe hands.

Maybe you're right, Captain. I tend to think of F1 as a treadmill of refinement, and those with the most money are the best at it. McLaren and Ferrari are not up there, sure, but I reckon they can catch up relatively quickly. Same for BMW and Toyota. Much as I appreciate Brawn's (and Williams', which incidentally is my favorite team) plight, they may come short.

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 05 Apr 2009, 15:21

CarlosFerreira wrote:I tend to think of F1 as a treadmill of refinement, and those with the most money are the best at it.

Brawn seem to be proving you very, very wrong of late ...

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » 05 Apr 2009, 16:11

Captain Hammer wrote:
CarlosFerreira wrote:I tend to think of F1 as a treadmill of refinement, and those with the most money are the best at it.

Brawn seem to be proving you very, very wrong of late ...

Bear in mind that the team now known as Brawn GP is reaping the benefits of 15 months of development paid for by Honda. Honda have even paid most of the budget for this year. I think you'll find plenty of money has been thrown at the BGP001.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 05 Apr 2009, 17:28

Captain Hammer wrote:
CarlosFerreira wrote:I tend to think of F1 as a treadmill of refinement, and those with the most money are the best at it.

Brawn seem to be proving you very, very wrong of late ...

True, but read Stewart's answer to that: it was mostly Honda's cash going into that marvellous car. I wonder how they will cope with a more limited budget - Ross has never had one of those since he left Benetton. Things could prove tricky for them when the development really paces up; and don't think the testing ban will help them: teams with the best CFD to perform virtual development will have the upper hand. We'll start seeing this in Europe, I believe. Might be a bit late for everyone else then; but, again, Toyota's not far in the championship and has deep pockets. Could Trulli or Glock be the men on the move? It's a fascinating prospect.

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 05 Apr 2009, 23:25

CarlosFerreira wrote:True, but read Stewart's answer to that: it was mostly Honda's cash going into that marvellous car. I wonder how they will cope with a more limited budget - Ross has never had one of those since he left Benetton. Things could prove tricky for them when the development really paces up; and don't think the testing ban will help them: teams with the best CFD to perform virtual development will have the upper hand. We'll start seeing this in Europe, I believe. Might be a bit late for everyone else then; but, again, Toyota's not far in the championship and has deep pockets. Could Trulli or Glock be the men on the move? It's a fascinating prospect.

I think Richard Branson's presence is going to account for that. True, he won't be able to give them a budget on par with Toyota, but given Brawn's performance over the past two races, sponsors are going to be lining up outside Brackley. To make things even easier, they'd supposedly signed a deal with Virgin that gives Branson the right to sell space on the car. Brawn can concentrate on getting results while Virgin can use its brand power to reel new sponsors in.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 05 Apr 2009, 23:40

Odd agreement, that one. I wonder how it'll work? Perhaps we could actually see different liveries from race to race?
I just saw the race. Impressive pace, on those things. This time, I was under the impression that whenever the Brawns did decide to attack, they had the field all for them. The way Button pulled a lead in the two laps after Rosberg pitted was telling. And the fact that with rain they had the upper hand on everyone through the high speed corners by that much shows the aero advantage they enjoy. If only Toyota had real killer on its ranks - maybe Glock will reveal himself? I don't put much faith in Trulli.

BB01 · Post by **BB01** » 06 Apr 2009, 01:40

CarlosFerreira wrote:If only Toyota had real killer on its ranks - maybe Glock will reveal himself? I don't put much faith in Trulli.

Maybe so but Trulli is a pretty consistent driver, I think. Maybe Toyota for WCC. I feel like, combined, they are a better lineup than Button and Barrichello. And how grumpy is Barrichello going to be when he realised he can't beat Button and is no 2 in this team, too? :lol:

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 06 Apr 2009, 01:46

CarlosFerreira wrote:Odd agreement, that one. I wonder how it'll work? Perhaps we could actually see different liveries from race to race?

No, we won't see different liveries. It's too difficult - not to mention expensive - to paint and repaint the cars and acquire new decals. And it's not that odd either as Ferrari have the same arrangement with Malboro; basically, it defers the power of securing sponsors to another, but that's not to say Brawn will be left out of the loop completely.

MrMonza · Post by **MrMonza** » 06 Apr 2009, 05:12

Re: Brawn GP and later season progress:

IMHO, despite the credit crunch the time is right to see an underdog team acquire reasonable sponsorship cash, come to the fore and ignite interest in F1 for the masses. Virgin surely has the means to invest (modestly) in Brawn GP, adding to its' potential for development. Yes, testing is very restricted this year and yes, they're starting with a car whose R&D was financed well before the season's start by Honda. I'm cheering them on to bigger and better. Jensen could (I'm holding my breath as I type this) challenge for the WDC, but it surely will not be easy. At all.

(Pity there's been recent lay offs at the team's HQ.)

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 06 Apr 2009, 05:18

The layoffs weren't because Brawn couldn't pay their people, but because it was felt they had too many for an organisation their size.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 06 Apr 2009, 09:04

BB01 wrote:
CarlosFerreira wrote:If only Toyota had real killer on its ranks - maybe Glock will reveal himself? I don't put much faith in Trulli.

Maybe so but Trulli is a pretty consistent driver, I think. Maybe Toyota for WCC. I feel like, combined, they are a better lineup than Button and Barrichello. And how grumpy is Barrichello going to be when he realised he can't beat Button and is no 2 in this team, too?

Probably won't be long. Just yesterday he was complaining about "choppy pit stops", and the Brawns seem to be a little frail around the gearbox. That could get to old man Rubens' nerves, I guess. He's probably looking at this season as the golden opportunity to finally be Champion.

XurizManson · Post by **XurizManson** » 13 Apr 2009, 03:42

Was hard for us brazilians to see Rubinho heavily overshadowed by Schumi in Ferrari. It´s a pity to see it happenning again...

Nin13 · Post by **Nin13** » 13 Apr 2009, 09:52

XurizManson wrote:Was hard for us brazilians to see Rubinho heavily overshadowed by Schumi in Ferrari. It´s a pity to see it happenning again...

Rubens has good chance of winning WDC this year......... Lets see if he can beat Jenson.............

thehemogoblin · Post by **thehemogoblin** » 13 Apr 2009, 16:45

Nin13 wrote:
XurizManson wrote:Was hard for us brazilians to see Rubinho heavily overshadowed by Schumi in Ferrari. It´s a pity to see it happenning again...

Rubens has good chance of winning WDC this year......... Lets see if he can beat Jenson.............

He's already been outfoxed twice...

Keirdre · Post by **Keirdre** » 15 Apr 2009, 08:49

Would Jenson become the first driver to win both Reject of the Year AND a Driver's Championship? And if Jenson has been RotY twice, would he need two WDCs to level out as an average Alex Wurz type driver?

XurizManson · Post by **XurizManson** » 15 Apr 2009, 15:25

Good question... Let the Rejects' Elders answer that.

ImissJORDAN · Post by **ImissJORDAN** » 15 Apr 2009, 15:47

Nuppiz wrote:Indeed, it would be nice for a long while to see a champion that wasn't even nearly considered as a future Champion before the first race. Think about Häkkinen. One win (and even that thanks to Villeneuve's "generosity" in Jerez) before the 1998 Season. And we all know what happened that season. Also, the McLaren of 1998 was quite superior, similar to what Brawn GP seems to be at the moment. Quite a far-fetched comparison, but fitting enough, eh?

Indeed, Alonso: 1 win before his championship season, two second places (less than JB before this year) and a few other podiums, suddenly scores a WDC and 7 wins. I think Jenson can do it, IF the Brawn team can stay ahead of others in the development race, but I'm not sure I'd want him to win if Glock, Trulli, Vettel or Kubica (among others) had a chance to. These drivers also, are in the same position; only 1 win each, 0 for Glock, but all with fast cars in a year of upheaval (a la 2005, 1998).