Formula 1

Button praises Verstappen F1 quality that cancels weak team-mate argument

Jenson Button has added his voice to the debate that Lewis Hamilton sparked about Max Verstappen not facing as many strong team-mates as him during his Formula 1 career.

Adam Cooper

Edited: Sep 11, 2023, 3:27 AM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG

Button praised Verstappen for his ability to adapt his driving style to the car he’s given, suggesting that not all drivers can cope in the same way.

The 2009 world champion, who drove alongside Hamilton at McLaren in 2010-’12, said he would be “more fearful” going up against Verstappen.

In recent weeks Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has suggested that Red Bull cars are designed around Verstappen, while Hamilton has indicated that he’s faced stronger team-mates than the Dutchman.

“I think Lewis has had some very tough team-mates, he's had world champions as team-mates, whereas Max hasn't,” Button told Sky Sports at the Goodwood Revival.

“But for me, I would be more fearful going up against Max in the same car. And I think it is because the car is designed around his style, or he can drive a car that Adrian Newey gives him.

“I think Adrian gives him a car and says, ‘This is the quickest car in the world. If you take away front downforce, it's going to go slower, but it'll be easier to drive.’

“And Max is, ‘Right, I have to drive how you've made this car, and I need to drive it as quick as I can.’ So I think that he's very good at that. And I think a lot of drivers struggle to compete with that.”

Podium: race winner Jenson Button, McLaren, second place Lewis Hamilton, McLaren

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

Expanding on the debate sparked by Hamilton, he added: “It's a difficult one. I think Lewis has had more difficult team-mates, but I also wouldn't want to go up against Max.

“They're all unbelievable drivers, the best in the world. And some of the best we've ever seen in F1. I wish there was more competition at the front, between Max, Lewis, Fernando [Alonso], those three for me are the ones that stand out.

“But it's not the way in F1. It's a technology race and Red Bull, fair play to them, they're doing a better job right now."

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Erik Junius

Button was also asked what advice he would give current McLaren driver Lando Norris, who has been linked with a potential future as Verstappen’s team-mate at Red Bull.

“The issue is you have to be the best to be a world champion,” said Button. “And that was the whole thing for me when I left Brawn [at the end of 2009].

“I was like, ‘I have to go to McLaren because I need to race against Lewis Hamilton’, who was regarded as the best. And I think that's what he's got to decide he wants to do.

“I think if he's clever, he will decide on a car that suits his style. And I think we've seen from a lot of drivers, the Red Bull doesn't suit many drivers, apart from Max.

“So, it's not an easy decision for him. He's not in a car that can win right now. And it probably won't next year either, I don't think.

“He's got to be looking elsewhere for 2025. Or he puts his trust in McLaren. They've won races, they've won championships, and it can come back around.

“So, as long as he can see the future and think that they're in a good place as a team, and it gives him confidence, stay there. If not, go and fight Max Verstappen in his own team. But that's a hard one.”

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Red Bull's Marko apologises for "offensive" remarks about Perez

Next article How McLaren has moved to address its F1 2023 drag woes

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

WEC Barcelona: Toyota scores dominant 1-2 to seal manufacturers’ title

WEC

WEC WEC

Barcelona

27 min

WEC Barcelona: Toyota scores dominant 1-2 to seal manufacturers’ title

Hailie Deegan eying NASCAR Truck return but future plans remain uncertain

NASCAR Truck

NSTR NASCAR Truck

Phoenix

36 min

Hailie Deegan eying NASCAR Truck return but future plans remain uncertain

When Can-Am made its controversial comeback

General

When Can-Am made its controversial comeback

Yamaha boss on MotoGP changes under Liberty: 'We must be careful not to lose our fans'

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Japanese GP

3 h

Yamaha boss on MotoGP changes under Liberty: 'We must be careful not to lose our fans'

Feature

Discover prime content

How levelling the playing field isn’t antithetical to the principles of F1

Formula 1

By Pat Symonds

How levelling the playing field isn’t antithetical to the principles of F1

Lights, Camara, action: How Haas picked F1's latest rookie for 2027

Formula 1

Singapore GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

Lights, Camara, action: How Haas picked F1's latest rookie for 2027

Employing team orders can simply be a matter of common sense

Formula 1

By Kevin Turner

Employing team orders can simply be a matter of common sense

Why Christian Horner sees history repeating itself for Adrian Newey at Aston Martin

Formula 1

Singapore GP

By Ronald Vording

Why Christian Horner sees history repeating itself for Adrian Newey at Aston Martin

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts