Button no superstar according to Gascoyne

Renault technical director Mike Gascoyne apparently takes a rather dim view of Jenson Button's future in Formula One, saying the young Englishman doesn't have what it takes to be a superstar. Button was at Renault (formerly Benetton) for two years ...

Renault technical director Mike Gascoyne apparently takes a rather dim view of Jenson Button's future in Formula One, saying the young Englishman doesn't have what it takes to be a superstar. Button was at Renault (formerly Benetton) for two years with Gascoyne, who allegedly claimed Button was shown up by his team mates.

Jenson Button.

Photo by Renault F1.

"I honestly don't think Jenson has the spark of a real superstar," Gascoyne was quoted as saying by a British tabloid. "If you look at him over the last two years you have to say he really has been dominated by both his team-mates."

However, accoring to Autosport, Gascoyne claims his words were taken out of context by the newspaper. "Jenson did a good job for us this year," he now says. "Especially in the first half of the year, and he was unlucky not to score our only podium."

"We gave him a difficult car in 2001, and he found it hard, but we stuck by him and it was very pleasing for us to see what he did last winter when he really knuckled down and tested well. But ultimately for 2003 we had to make a decision on who was the best driver and our decision was Fernando Alonso, because we believe he has a real spark. But there is no doubt Jenson deserves his place in F1, and I, along with everyone at Renault, wish him well."

Although the racing is over for the season, the merry-go-round of claim and counter claim, quote and denial, gossip and rumour never stops.