Jenson Button feels Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel needs a challenger – Formula 1 Update
2009 Formula 1 champion, Jenson Button, feels that Sebastian Vettel is already running far ahead from all the drivers in the 2011 season. The British driver commented that even Red Bull and Vettel would love to see a challenge in the coming 17 races of the
2011 Formula 1 season.
Vettel has won two out of two races so far in the 2011 season and sits high on the driver’s championship table with a maximum of 50 points. He has a lead of 24 points from the second driver, Button. Although McLaren’s duo has done well to close down the
gap behind Vettel, still he is somehow crossing the finish line ahead of everyone.
Button however believes that the gap is closing in behind Red Bull. “Although I'm a lot of points behind Sebastian, who is doing a magnificent job, I feel we are closing in on Red Bull,” said Button.
“I still feel there is more to find with the set-up of the car, and hopefully we'll have some more upgrades for this weekend in China so we can take the fight to them,” added Button who sits second on the driver’s championship table with 26 points.
The second step of the podium has been occupied by McLaren’s duo, Lewis Hamilton and Button. Lewis took the fight to Vettel in the Australian Grand Prix and was closing the gap on the German, only before his car went off the track. Hamilton lost some down
force because his car’s floor was broken and as a result Vettel had smooth sailing to the top place of the podium.
In the Malaysian Grand Prix, the initial pressure on Vettel was put up by Renault’s Nick Heidfeld, who somehow managed to cross five cars in the first lap of the race. Soon after, McLaren’s drivers recovered from the gap and took the fight to Sebastian.
Button was only a mere three seconds away from Vettel at the end of the race, while Hamilton had a few bumps in the road and finished eighth, after getting a 20 seconds time penalty due to an accident with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.
“Formula One wants to see that, and I'm sure Red Bull want a bit of a challenge as well, not to have it all their own way,” stated Button after saying that 17 races are due and maybe one more will be added if Bahrain gets a green light.
The Chinese Grand prix is scheduled for 17 April and McLaren will use their updated version of the exhaust and floor system to break Vettel’s monopoly on the top tier of the podium.
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