The McLaren Hamilton v Button thread
Posted by J i m
Well three seasons together have come to an end. Most of us thought that Button was insane to go to McLaren whilst Hamilton was there (including me) and sure enough Hamilton proved to the quickest.
However and ignoring a race by race analysis (I haven't time for that :P) these are the final stats.
Poles: Hamilton 8 - 1 Button
Wins: Hamilton 10 - 8 Button
Fastest Laps: Hamilton 9 - 6 Button
Points: Hamilton 657 - 672 Button
Hamilton the victor where it counts but did anyone seriously expect Button to be as close? A job well done I think.
However and ignoring a race by race analysis (I haven't time for that :P) these are the final stats.
Poles: Hamilton 8 - 1 Button
Wins: Hamilton 10 - 8 Button
Fastest Laps: Hamilton 9 - 6 Button
Points: Hamilton 657 - 672 Button
Hamilton the victor where it counts but did anyone seriously expect Button to be as close? A job well done I think.
The fact Jenson has scored more points than Lewis says a lot I think. He's been a very safe and steady pair of hands.
I would say Hamiltons luck this year has skewed the results. Lewis has been MEGA this year. Still, JB went through a rough patch so does it balance?
Either way, never expected JB to top him in total points.
The pole difference, expected. I said it all along JB would never out qualify Lewis.
Win difference, 2 wins over 3 seasons. That's because Lewis is better, more often.
Still, this gives me a lot of satisfaction. How many people said Button would get destroyed? Too many. Button has proved his worth against Lewis and that's exactly why he joined Mclaren.
"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL
Either way, never expected JB to top him in total points.
The pole difference, expected. I said it all along JB would never out qualify Lewis.
Win difference, 2 wins over 3 seasons. That's because Lewis is better, more often.
Still, this gives me a lot of satisfaction. How many people said Button would get destroyed? Too many. Button has proved his worth against Lewis and that's exactly why he joined Mclaren.
"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL
I'm looking forward to seeing Jenson against Sergio next year - they should be opposite extremes, which is always interesting to watch.
Well in there 3 years together Lewis beat Button twice, despite losing 130 odd points this year he still beat him.
Button may have beaten him in Brazil, hard to say we will never know but Nico would have beat them both
Lewis drove so well this year and lost the title due to problems with his car not his head.
Its ok looking at the points scored over the 3 years etc but that does not show the true picture of what happened this year. Lewis totally destroyed Button, there were only about 4 races where button was actually ahead on merit.
Button may have beaten him in Brazil, hard to say we will never know but Nico would have beat them both
Lewis drove so well this year and lost the title due to problems with his car not his head.
Its ok looking at the points scored over the 3 years etc but that does not show the true picture of what happened this year. Lewis totally destroyed Button, there were only about 4 races where button was actually ahead on merit.
I think a lot about what is said about Button here is true 'safe hands' indeed.
As for Hamilton well, surprising really. I dont think a part from mechanical failure, everything should be put down to bad luck.
You make your own luck as a driver. How?
Well I think that you have to look at the way you position yourself in the race. When to take chances and when to let go ...... some thing that both Button and Raikkonen have a handle on.
In retrospect both the above, have team mates that have not enjoyed consistancy because of incidents.
Admitedly Lewis has matured enormously this season and sometimes he would be minding his own business, when @#$%& happened but all in all, consistancy has been his costant enemy since 2008.
Whether it was the car or circumstance Lewis has some how managed to miss the boat.
" Perfection is not a gift ....... it comes with practice."
Member of R.S.C.T Group
As for Hamilton well, surprising really. I dont think a part from mechanical failure, everything should be put down to bad luck.
You make your own luck as a driver. How?
Well I think that you have to look at the way you position yourself in the race. When to take chances and when to let go ...... some thing that both Button and Raikkonen have a handle on.
In retrospect both the above, have team mates that have not enjoyed consistancy because of incidents.
Admitedly Lewis has matured enormously this season and sometimes he would be minding his own business, when @#$%& happened but all in all, consistancy has been his costant enemy since 2008.
Whether it was the car or circumstance Lewis has some how managed to miss the boat.
" Perfection is not a gift ....... it comes with practice."
Member of R.S.C.T Group
As I try to refer to elsewhere it gets very difficult playing the "what if" game. It relies on too many variables and there's always a counter argument. True it's fun to speculate or "retrolate" but the end result is what counts.
I made this thread to throw back to this time in 2009 when the Button to McLaren announcement was made. Lets be honest we all thought "biiiig mistake" he was going from being reigning champion and king of his castle to be court jester to Hamilton at McLaren. Hamilton would wipe the tracks clean with Button for sure right?
Well apparently wrong. Oh for sure Hamilton proved to be the quicker, the most aggressive, the most flamboyant, the one most expected to win from a sticky wicket. But it was never the comprehensive knock out victory we all anticipated, like what happened to Kovalainen for instance.
No, Button was clever. He accepted that Hamilton was quickest very early on and basically ignored it. He played to his strengths instead, his feel for changing conditions and the right moment to make the clever strategic calls. He integrated himself into the team to the state that it was no longer team Hamilton, something that even Alonso gave up as a lost cause.
Yes.. Button has had his shockers, the absolute nadir being Montreal this year where he languished embarrassingly off the pace in a healthy car whilst Hamilton was busy being epic. But Hamilton has had his shockers too, why he spent much of 2011 crashing into Felipe Massa at about the time that Button was the only one to appear in Vettel's mirrors.
The conclusion is that Button is a much better racing driver than many gave or indeed give him credit for and maybe just maybe his championship isn't quite as "undeserved" as many like to think.
Be honest if someone said to us that after 3 years that Button would have out scored Hamilton on points and taken 8 wins to Hamilton's 10, we'd all have gone "LOL dream on"
How wrong we were.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2012 06:07PM by J i m.
I made this thread to throw back to this time in 2009 when the Button to McLaren announcement was made. Lets be honest we all thought "biiiig mistake" he was going from being reigning champion and king of his castle to be court jester to Hamilton at McLaren. Hamilton would wipe the tracks clean with Button for sure right?
Well apparently wrong. Oh for sure Hamilton proved to be the quicker, the most aggressive, the most flamboyant, the one most expected to win from a sticky wicket. But it was never the comprehensive knock out victory we all anticipated, like what happened to Kovalainen for instance.
No, Button was clever. He accepted that Hamilton was quickest very early on and basically ignored it. He played to his strengths instead, his feel for changing conditions and the right moment to make the clever strategic calls. He integrated himself into the team to the state that it was no longer team Hamilton, something that even Alonso gave up as a lost cause.
Yes.. Button has had his shockers, the absolute nadir being Montreal this year where he languished embarrassingly off the pace in a healthy car whilst Hamilton was busy being epic. But Hamilton has had his shockers too, why he spent much of 2011 crashing into Felipe Massa at about the time that Button was the only one to appear in Vettel's mirrors.
The conclusion is that Button is a much better racing driver than many gave or indeed give him credit for and maybe just maybe his championship isn't quite as "undeserved" as many like to think.
Be honest if someone said to us that after 3 years that Button would have out scored Hamilton on points and taken 8 wins to Hamilton's 10, we'd all have gone "LOL dream on"
How wrong we were.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2012 06:07PM by J i m.
Jim
That was beautifully put, could not have said it better.
You are right on the money with everything you said pleasure to read it mate and as for Button ............you sure are right it's 'Hat eating' time for many of us including me.
" Perfection is not a gift ....... it comes with practice."
Member of R.S.C.T Group
That was beautifully put, could not have said it better.
You are right on the money with everything you said pleasure to read it mate and as for Button ............you sure are right it's 'Hat eating' time for many of us including me.
" Perfection is not a gift ....... it comes with practice."
Member of R.S.C.T Group
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