Ecclestone wants Button in top team
Jenson Button should consider sitting out the 2009 season rather than racing for an uncompetitive team.
That is the advice of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, after the 28-year-old British driver’s career was thrown into doubt by the shock withdrawal of Honda.
Button had just committed to the Japanese manufacturer for another three years, but now faces the prospect of waiting for a buyer of the Brackley based team, or switching to a team like Toro Rosso.
“He should be in any of the top teams,” Ecclestone told the Daily Telegraph. “I’d rather see him wait to get a seat in one of those than race in an uncompetitive car.”
Button said earlier this month that he would “rather not” miss the 2009 season.
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Public Wants Eccleston to shut up.
Bernie Eccleston should consider sitting out of the 2009 season… And all subsequent seasons.
Then why doesn’t the poison dwarf put his money where his mouth is.
Okay, he is allowed an opinion, like everyone else. I just think he should keep it to himself. Am I the only one who finds it highly inappropriate that he keeps commenting on his preferred outcome of the sport he promotes?
Nope, me too.
It’s not good for any driver to miss out a season in F1 - especially with the number of rule changes. If Button misses out the season he’ll have a seasons disadvantage to other drivers (barr rookies and any test opportunities) in making the most of the new setups.
I would like to see him in a Torro Rosso - I somehow doubt that TRs (or RBs) car will be at the furthest back of the grid anyway…ala Honda 2007, 2008.
is there anything that annoying litle blue tit doesnt have an opinion on?
Usuall if a driver is good, then sitting a year out won’t do them much damage, sure they might accumalate rust but that can be shaken off with some testing miles.
Alain Prost not only missed 1992, but went on to win the championship in 93, lauda managed to win a title with Mclaren after coming out of retirement for money to fund his airline business.
Somehow I don’t think Button is up with those 2. It’s a shame, Button is a good driver but he’s made some wrong career choices.
Sitting out or not, Seats with top teams are out of question for the Brit
The Top teams of the moment viz Ferrari, McLaren and BMW have their options locked. Of the three McLaren and BMW bosses are pretty hard headed and Button wouldn’t fit in their scheme of things anyways. Ferrari has good atmosphere for Button, where they have given Kimi a lots of support to settle down, and backed him when the results aren’t coming. But would they need Button to take their team to next level. Alonso would be more than happy to play that role for Ferrari.
So that leaves Button with Mid-field to bottom rung teams anyways. Unless of course Button can make one of the big team bosses to choose him over their current Pilots and to do that he needs to have a mighty big backer as personal sponsor, or have ability to put them in Duress ( by having access to some dirty little secret of theirs)
Maybe Button can replace Kovalainen or Piquet?
I doubt any topteam is still interested in him though.
Ron Dennis won’t team up another Brit with Hamilton, even if Kovalainen’s contract could be ripped up. And Briatorie gave Button the boot years back.
I’m amazed that Button isn’t looking for available spaces in Indycar. I know he’d prefer F1 but he is without a seat at the moment and the Beeb don’t need any more driving experience on their pundit’s sofa.
a) Are there spaces available
b) Do F1 drivers have balls to drive Highbanked ovals :-?. Its easy to jeer Oval racing, but taking those high lines needs some balls. F1 avoids the challenge whimpering in name of Safety
2010, Button renews his BMW ties alongside Kubica. Just a hunch… I actually wondered if it might happen for 2009 when Thiessen and co ummed and arred about Heidfeld for so long.
Surely it’s better to do the season in a rubbish car, prove that you can make it competitive and show everyone you’re a great driver. Rather than sit it out and be forgotten.
Re: Am I the only one who finds it highly inappropriate that he keeps commenting on his preferred outcome of the sport he promotes?
Nope, me too.
ME THREE!!!!!
:D 
:D 
:D 
:D 
Tom- Perfect statement to open the discussion. Perfect.
Alex- Button driving in Indycar? Great idea, and one that would give an international PR boost to the new series. I know Bourdais is/was looking at the same options, so perhaps it only makes sense for drivers with their rides in limbo. Still, I think Button is perhaps a bit too proud to make a move that may spell the end of his F1 career. In terms of the possibility of a seat, I know some teams are having a tough time getting multiple cars on the grid, and most of the drives were locked up some months ago.
As for the F1 guys having the stones to drive the banked corners, we know JPM was up for it. In terms of Button himself, I remember reading a few quotes from him before the USGP in 2007- he said he really enjoyed the banked turn at Indy and was looking forward to driving the course. Still, if he is ever thinking about IndyCar, he’ll need to get a bit more of an appreciation for that configuration.
One must remember that Montoya had plenty of prior experience of oval track racing before he moved to F1 back in 2001. Villeneuve is another driver who had plenty of experience driving ovals, and winning on them.
At the moment there are quite a few British drivers plying their trade in IndyCars, more so than in F1 at the moment. It may not be beyond the impossible to see Button in America racing on a set of Firestones, it worked for Justin Wilson, who sadly left the F1 circus behind many years ago now.
Nothing is impossible.
Hey, Button and Bernie have both made their beds. If Button is a top line driver, I’m sure he’ll find a drive. But as Spud, Pete and many others have commented here, it’s inappropriate for Bernie to be promoting any team or driver. He can have his opinion but since he’s governing the series, it should be private. Naturally, he won’t be; he’s so damn tone deaf.
for once i agree with Bernie
Its such a shame that Jenson can’t get a drive in a top team.
I hope he dosen’t have to sit out the 2009 season
I think Bernie is talking up Jenson in hopes of making the (ex)HondaF1 team a more attractive proposition…
On Button and IndyCar, I can’t see why he’d be in demand in that category. What IndyCar lacks is strong American drivers.
Errr, like he did this year? And last?
If Button sat out next season I don’t think he would be able to get back into Formula 1. He hasn’t won a World Championship and only has one win to his name so it isn’t like when Lauda and Prost came back after missing a season. There are also a lot of other highly rated drivers around at the moment who would be higher on peoples lists than Button if he takes a year out, or even if he doesn’t. Also with the testing ban he won’t be able to test for a top team for a year and hope that leads to a race seat.
Unfortunately I don’t see him getting a drive with one of the top teams, his best hope was with Honda and we all know what happened with that.
If you are a Button fan - then who wouldn’t want to see him get a drive with one of the bigger teams? I agree that it is inappropriate for Bernie to speculate and probably agree it’s to “big up” the Honda outfit so he doesn’t have to persuade some of the teams to field a third car! If that speculation becomes fact, Jenson’s options may well increase from potentially Toro Rosso for 2009 or another form of motorsport altogether. However, if any of the bigger teams were interested, an offer would already be on the cards wouldn’t it like Alonso?
If the big teams are forced to run a third car each, I’d bet my socks that Button will be driving one of them. Having said that, there are only 18 race seats at the moment, and he’s stated no interest in driving for the one team that has a spare seat.
Quick two cents: Good advice for any veteran driver, not just Jenson Button; unless you are joining McLaren or Ferrari, sign 6 race to one-year contracts only. Why be tethered?
That having been said, how much would you pay to see Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone talking from the opposite side of soundproof glass?