Formula One News: Jenson Button to fight for Formula One Championship
Jenson Button may not have won any race this season but he came close to victory twice in the last two races. He finished at second place in the Turkish Grand Prix last month while managed to clinch the second position in Canada last week. With only three points separating the McLaren drivers at the top, Button is relishing the fight to defend his title till the end of the 2010 season.
Before the Turkish grand prix, nobody could have thought of the current scenario. It was the disastrous Turkish Grand Prix where Red Bull Racing lost their momentum. As a result, McLaren took the opportunity and seized it.
“If you had told me before Turkey we would be in our position now, it would have been quite hard to believe. But with two one-two finishes, yes, I'd have been surprised”, claimed the defending champion Jenson Button.
The last two races have also witnessed closed duels between Hamilton and Button. On the other hand, teammate Hamilton believes that he will need to continue his winning form if he wants to repeat his 2008 success. Hamilton had his share of bad luck especially at the start of the season. He ran out of luck in the Australian Grand Prix when he was tagged by Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber. Earlier in the Spanish Grand Prix, Webber’s second position was ruined by wheel failure. Since then, he has fought back to claim the top spot in the driver’s championship. However, it was a collision between the Red Bull drivers at Istanbul that marked the revival of McLaren and Hamilton. Talking to reporters after finishing at the top of the podium, Hamilton said, “What a challenge, the challenge of the year.” He further added, “In past years there have been different demands, such as in 2007 when traction control made things a little easier. Back then there were also only three drivers to compete against, but now there are a good, strong six or seven”.
With changes in rules by the governing body, it is true that Formula One has become more competitive than early days. Subsequently, with these changes, the requirement level of drivers to perform has also increased considerably.
Commenting on the competitive nature of F1, Hamilton said, “It is phenomenal how competitive it is this year, and you have to be at your best at all times, and I love that. Before you just had to be good and you could get away with it, but now you have to be at your best to be ahead of these guys”.
Technicalities in this race are equally important along with the skill level of the drivers. This was illustrated in the Canadian Grand Prix where wearing down of tyres played a vital role in the result. The Canadian Grand Prix was the 13th career win for Hamilton and he now leads the championship for the first time since 2008.
Meanwhile, Red Bull Racing’s owner Christian Horner believes that his team needs to remain focused. Complacency of any sort in the coming races can help them lose their focus on the season finale. A second one-two finish for McLaren in Montreal has put them on top in the Constructor’s Championship with 22 points clear from Red Bull Racing. Horner is hoping that his team would brush aside the remnant effects of the Turkish Grand Prix and the team would come strong in the coming races. Talking to reporters, he said, “It seems to be a disadvantage to lead the drivers' championship. But I'm not surprised at how the championship has flipped around. It’s the most exciting we've had for some time, and we're not even halfway through yet. There's a long way to go”. Horner has also brushed aside media reports regarding a divide in his team and he feels that in the coming races, the performance of Red Bull drivers will exterminate any leftover rumours in the media market. Formula One experts believe that the balance of power has shifted many times in this season. It will be early to write someone off. But one thing is certain we are sure to witness more twists and turns in the coming races.
Tags: