Jenson Button upholds Virgin Racing Team and McLaren technical collaboration – Formula 1 news
McLaren driver Jenson Button has clearly manifested his support for the technical affiliation between Virgin Racing Team and his team.
He expressed these thoughts while talking to media at the opening of his new restaurant.
VRT lack the required funds, resources and technical advantage that bigger Formula 1 teams have. On the contrary, McLaren enjoy a technological edge over Virgin as they are a much better funded team. This should be seen by the Dinnington-based team
as a great support in the upcoming 2012 season who must take maximum advantage out of the VRT-McLaren link-up.
Button thus believes that this partnership is going to be instrumental for Virgin Racing in terms of access to upgraded and improved facilities such as test rigs, driver simulator and wind tunnel.
Button said, “Hopefully the technical partnership will help them understand a little bit more of what’s needed to fight for a championship.”
In a sport like Formula 1 where Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren are all battling to be the top team, it can be said without any doubt that any new team would have to really work it out to face the competition.
Hence, joining hands with any bigger team should be looked upon as a strategy to gain competitiveness and an opportunity that should be welcomed with optimism rather than viewed with criticism by all its stakeholders.
Button further said, “Everyone at a team like Virgin needs to show patience, but also you’ve got to remember you are part of that team; you’re not an outsider, you’re not someone that can stand there and point the finger at the team because you’re
a part of it. If you succeed you enjoy it together and if you don’t perform you’re all part of that.”
He backs his stance up with evidence from the past by citing the example of the World Championship that took place in 2009 and how he could not have won it if Honda had not agreed to sign up with Ross Brawn.
Whether or not this technical partnership is able to produce results in a timely manner depends on the aptness of the Virgin Racing drivers - Timo Glock and Jerome d’Ambrosio.
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