McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton acknowledges Jenson Button’s impressive 2011 showing – Formula 1 news
McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton said that teammate Jenson Button was able to perform so well during the 2011 season because he developed a really good relationship with his technical team.
Hamilton gave the statement to Gazzetta dello Sport while mentioning that hopes to do really well in the 2012 season and that he will be competing against his teammate Button as well.
“However, psychologically it's absolutely not a problem. Besides, he's an open and cheerful guy who I get along with. It would be nice to fight for the 2012 championship with him -- that's just up to McLaren,” Hamilton said.
“Jenson is very quick and he's gathered a strong team of technicians around him,” said Hamilton to La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I'd like to be ahead of him all the time, and I'm not happy if the opposite happen.”
Button had an impressive 2011 season as he closed in on the gap between Red Bull and other teams. The Brit secured 270 points with three Grands Prix wins in Canada, Hungary and Japan. His impressive performances helped McLaren secure a second place finish
in the constructors’ championship while finishing 2nd in the drivers’ championship as well.
It was the first time in Hamilton’s career since his debut in Formula 1 that his teammate was ahead in points in the drivers’ championship. Hamilton arguably had one of the worst seasons of his career. The Brit publicly conceded that it was a bad year for
him with a lot of things also going on off the tracks.
Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone accused Hamilton’s management of mishandling him and suggested that they had a bad influence on Hamilton. While the former champion defended his management he conceded that whatever happened in the season has all been his
own fault.
Hamilton was a target of a lot of criticism over his on-track behaviour as well as his run-ins with Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. Although he was not at fault on every occasion but his previous transgressions held him victimised in most cases. Hamilton though
toughed the situation out and had improved considerably in final stages of the season.
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