Jenson Button was standing at an airport baggage declare in late 2008 when he acquired a name that the F1 crew he drove for was shutting down, and he’d misplaced his experience. He quickly signed with Brawn GP, a crew that solely existed for one yr, 2009 — then drove to his first and solely championship in a season many name an F1 fairytale. Does he ever step again and go: “That was me — I gained the fairytale season”?
“No,” Button instructed Motorsport. “As a result of it wasn’t a fairytale season. It was one of many hardest years of my life.”
Button gained six of the primary seven F1 races in 2009, accounting for greater than a 3rd of the 17-race season. He didn’t win one other race that yr, however held onto the factors result in take the title. Button mentioned the season was “nice initially,” however shortly, something lower than perfection grew to become a disappointment.
“You all the time wish to do higher,” Button mentioned. “So even after profitable three races, not being quickest in a follow session was a failure. Not being on pole in qualifying was a failure.
“I acquired to the purpose the place I put a lot stress on myself after these seven races, [if] I acquired to a race the place the automobile did not work, I could not get the most effective out of it. My head was within the incorrect place already. Every part was a failure aside from a win, whereas I ought to have been on the level the place: ‘Nicely, we’re not quickest, however I acquired to get the most effective out of the automobile, and ending on the rostrum continues to be a win as a result of individuals aren’t actually taking many factors off of us.’”
Button, 44, is 15 years older now, and greater than a decade away from his full-time F1 profession. (We spoke through the debut of a particular Mobil1 livery for his Hertz Group Jota LMDh automobile, his current years having taken him to WEC.) However when Button appears again at his System 1 period, he thinks he’d deal with that stress “100 occasions higher” immediately, and sees related patterns on this new period of younger drivers.
“I really feel that a number of drivers which have gone into F1 anticipating nice issues,” Button instructed Motorsport. “If it hasn’t occurred instantly, their head drops.
“I feel making an attempt to manage your feelings and get your head in the suitable area could be very tough for kids in motorsport, and it’s extremely straightforward for them to do a yr within the sport and get thrown out. That is it, sport over. The place do you go from there? It’s extremely tough to select your self again up from that time.”
To listen to Button dig deeper into the perils of getting a seat too younger, the draw back of being a “clean” driver, the actual story behind his harrowing helmet malfunction through the 2004 German Grand Prix, and extra, watch the total episode of Behind the Visor beneath or on YouTube.
