Internet's been down in Asia

Sorry if I haven't been able to post these past few days. Internet access has been really really bad here in Asia (I live in the Philippines), and websites have been taking forever to load, if they even do at all. Things are starting to look up though, and hopefully we'll have full internet access restored in a few days.

Here's an excerpt from Yahoo! Asia:

Asia Internet slowly comes back online

HONG KONG (AFP) - Millions of frustrated Internet users across Asia slowly regained access to overseas websites on Friday, three days after an earthquake off the coast of Taiwan snapped several vital undersea cables.

Telecoms operators across the region re-routed Internet links to circumvent the ruptured lines off the southern part of the island, as engineers donned diving suits to assess the damage and begin repairs.

But customers in the Philippines have been asked to play their part too -- by limiting overseas calls to family and friends over the New Year.

Martin Brundle's Driver Review

Martin Brundle's driver review continues with Kimi and Jenson. Here's an excerpt:

This was the year when Britain finally made it back to the top step of the podium with Jenson Button's brilliant win in Hungary.

But did the Honda ace really break through into the top flight in 2006, or is there still more to come?

In the latest part of ITV Sport commentator Martin Brundle's driver review, he gives you his thoughts on 'Our Jens'.

ITV-F1.com: Though Jenson won a grand prix, it was in extraordinary circumstances, so is there still a lot to prove?

Martin: There is, I mean as Jenson said recently, he scored more points in the last eight races than anybody else, and though there is an element of kidology there, it also says that the Honda team is on an upward curve.

And he definitely drove well and looked back in his old form in the second half of the season.

The team lost designer Geoff Willis early on and they lost some momentum.

They won the 'winter grand prix' in testing and then were off the pace at Melbourne. And then they just seemed to lose their way.

It came back again but even so you weren't always convinced that Jenson had the chance to win a race.

It was interesting to watch the TV figures after Jenson won, because the public didn't think he was going to keep on winning either.

To get the British public on board as Nigel [Mansell] and Damon [Hill] did, you've got to keep winning or at least look like you're going to win.

And Honda and Jenson didn't do that. In fact they played it down a little bit didn't they? They warned people that it wasn't going to happen every weekend.

You can read the rest at ITV.com here. The review starts with Kimi, and progresses on to Jenson (bottom half contains Martin's thoughts on Jenson). Happy reading!

Christmas Wishes from Jenson

Sorry, got around to it just now. :P

Here's Jenson's message for his fans this holiday season. You'll have to be a member to access the videos, but membership is free and easy. :)


And here's his bit from F1.com's Formula One drivers' Christmas list:

Jenson Button, Honda:
"I've got everything I want. I have my whole family joining me for Christmas and spending time with family and friends is all I need. You can't ask Santa for a podium or a win. You've got to do that yourself."

Hope you all had a good Christmas! :)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! :)

Jenson the Jolly Green Giant

Lol. Some nice and funny news on Honda saving the planet, from ITV.com. May we indeed perhaps see a touch of green in honda's new livery? :P

According to the latest issue of Marketing Week magazine, the Honda F1 squad are all set to embrace the current trend for everything green, with a raft of environmentally friendly ideas.

The story (accompanied by a nice picture of a 2002 Jordan) tells how the team are keen on the use of solar power and renewable energy, and that the team may adopt an all-green livery.

However the ideas have not found favour in all quarters.

Fashion expert Lucy Bing said: “Saving the planet and a few polar bears is all well and good, but Honda fail to realise that green is like sooo last season’s colour.

“With his height and fluffy beard, Jenson Button could end up looking like the Jolly Green Giant while poor little Rubens may adopt the appearance of a leprechaun.”

A source close to the team dismissed Miss Bing’s comments, insisting that being environmentally aware far outweighed any fashion issues.

Year-end Recaps

First off from Formula One's official site, a 2006 race by race recap, part 5 featuring the the Hungarian, Turkish and Italian Grands Prix. I'd never noticed Nick Fry's expression before (he's the one behind Jenson in the pictures). Both of them look kinda funny... hahaha. That must've been such a fun feeling having all that elation surging through your body though... hence the funny faces... hahaha. :)

Here's a short excerpt:

As the title rivals struggled, the Hungaroring meeting belonged to Honda’s Jenson Button, who came from 14th on the grid to score his maiden Formula One win. The changeable weather played a huge part in the race, but Button’s victory was totally deserved, the Briton keeping his cool in tricky conditions to finally triumph on his 113th attempt.

Also, from ITV.com, an in-depth discussion of Honda's first full season at the helm, featuring all the ups and downs of 2006. The article's title, Finishing with a Flourish" sums it up quite well though. ;)

Here's an excerpt:

The highlight, of course, was Jenson Button’s long-overdue maiden grand prix victory in Hungary, Honda’s first as a constructor since the 1960s.

Although that watershed signalled that the team had shrugged off its mid-season blues, it was above all a supreme personal achievement from Button.

In tricky wet-but-drying weather conditions that turned the race into a lottery, Jenson’s delicacy of touch came to the fore and he thoroughly earned his place on the top step of the podium.

At a stroke, the 26-year-old from Frome silenced those increasingly prevalent voices that doubted he would ever shake off his ‘nearly man’ status.

Lastly, here's a feature, again by ITV.com, of their picks for pictures of the year. Jenson Button's in there of course. :P

Rubens says Jenson needs to complain more

Seriously, Rubens wants Jenson to complain a bit more. Hahaha.

Taken in the right context though, he was talking about complacency that may have settled in with Jenson about the way things work around Honda. Rubens was simply encouraging Jenson to be a bit more assertive in asking for changes for him to be able to craft a better, race-winning car. I think Jenson has already started to do so, really making the team his and getting them behind him and getting that race pace back, specially after that win. It never hurts for your number two to give a bit more of a push. Rubens wants Honda to improve just as much, and I bet everyone at Honda will be on the same page too. :)

Anyhow, here's an excerpt from the article of Barrichello talking about Honda still having more work to do, from Autosport.com:

Jenson Button and Honda Racing still have work to do if they are to make the steps forward needed to fight for regular race wins, claims Rubens Barrichello.

Although Button finished off the season as the highest points-scorer from the Hungarian Grand Prix onward, Barrichello is under no illusions about the progress that it still needed ahead of 2007.

"I think that this team has a huge amount of potential, but still has some work to do if we are to become consistent winners," said Barrichello, who joined the team at the start of this year.

Happy reading!

Does Jenson play Batracer?

Any chance Jenson, or any Formula One driver for that matter, plays Batracer? Maybe he's been playing over the offseason?:P Batracer's a fun strategy game to play, although it can also get very frustrating at times. The real thing must be a million more times of both (fun and frustration :P).

By the way, for those interested, one of the forumers has started up a new private game. This one's based on the 1986 carset, and you're all welcome to join. :)

Here's the link:
http://batracer.com/-cj?&D&9568. :) Password is "Andretti". Hope to see you all there! :)

Driving Styles Explained

Ever wonder what exactly people are talking about when they call Jenson Button's driving style smooth, or Fernando Alonso's style aggressive? Want an insider look at how the top drivers handle their cars today?

Here's a great video of Martin Brundle explaining driving styles by taking a look (and testing for himself, giving you an even closer perspective) at the different ways Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher/Kimi Raikkonen drive their cars around the track.

16-1

16-1. Those are the odds on Jenson Button winning next year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award next year. Imagine that. The last one's just wrapped up and someone's already got odds on Jenson for next year. Haha. Lewis Hamilton's right up there as well, with 25-1 odds on his potential to win. I say we all keep our fingers crossed and hope that Jenson does well enough, and the awards will come along with a fine season.

As for this year's edition, I'll have one last go at it. It's always nice to see other people rooting for Jenson, so Shaun gets a "good on ya" from Button fans like me for sharing some positive words on Jense regarding his BBC nomination. Nice of him to acknowledge that Jense had a year good enough to have warranted consideration. :)

I suppose the season is still too far ahead to be writing about much else at this point. Maybe I should take a break for the holidays too. Hahaha. Been terribly busy these days, and I haven't even gotten myself into the holiday season just yet. Looking forward to the peace and quiet comfort that comes with it though. :)

Hope you're all having good days leading up to Christmas thus far. News might be slow coming over the next few days, but I'll try to dig up as much stuff as I can to share this holiday season. Happy Holidays everyone!

Young Jenson Button karting at Clay Pigeon

Testing's just wrapped up, and teams are now looking forward to 2007. Here's a look the other way though, and a look back at where it all started for Jenson. :)

Defending Jenson Button

Jenson's been coming under a lot of heavy criticism lately for his nomination in BBC's Sports Personality of the Year Awards. I say lay off the guy. It's not his fault he got nominated. It's a recognition of excellence, and that he has been.

People keep referring to the fact that he's only got one win, blah blah blah. That's one win more than he started the season isn't it? Look at the way he won it, and look at the way he's been driving since! Absolutely driven and competitive. He scored more points than anyone, even both Schumi and Fernando, during that time period. He's at the pinnacle of motorsports, and he's been driving well. Really well. That deserves some recognition, doesn't it? And the simple fact is that there were at least some people out there that saw that. That's why he got into the final nomination list.

I can't wait for 2007 season to start. I really, really hope Jenson does well. He's poised for big things, and as much as I wouldn't want to put any more pressure on Jenson (as if I could actually do that), I'm really hoping he gets to silence even more critics this year. He's one of the best drivers in the world right now. I hope he really gets to showcase those talents in the RA107.

Jenson gets some love from Big Fry

Some nice words from his boss, quoted from BBC Sport:

Button in F1 elite, says boss Fry

Honda boss Nick Fry believes Jenson Button has now joined the ranks of Formula One's top drivers.

The Briton won his first Grand Prix in Hungary last August, and Fry is expecting more success next season.

"I believe that Jenson is up there with both Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen in the top three," he said.

"There are others that will do well from time to time, but in terms of consistently high performance, he's in the top three."

It's nice to see Nick boosting Jense's confidence even more.

Jenson, you're definitely tops to us fans. Make us proud! :)

Honda to keep new livery a secret... for now

This should get very interesting...

Honda’s Formula One CEO Nick Fry has hinted at an exciting new livery for the team’s 2007 car, as part of an innovative marketing strategy designed to fill the void left by departing title sponsors British American Tobacco.

“We have a marketing plan, which will surprise a lot of people and get them interested by our approach for next year,” Fry told Formula1.com. “. You will not see a car covered in Honda logos, it will be something very different.”

Honda’s 2007 car, expected to be called the RA107, is scheduled to make its track debut late next month. However, its livery is unlikely to be revealed until shortly before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 18.

I wonder what the new car's livery will look like? There have been some really... uhm... creative ideas at the official forum's livery thread. :) Feel free to participate in discussions there too!

The way I see it, Honda's got a chance to put on a fresh splash of colors to go along with their impending championship run. Something stlyish to highlight all those sleek contours in the car I hope. Ooh... maybe they can carry special fan-voted liveries! Haha. Just a thought. Anyway, whatever they end up deciding on, I just want them to do all of it right and proper. :)

In the meantime, we can expect to see more of those striking black cars to run until the livery launch mentioned above. You can read more of it at the link to F1.com's official site above, or at Crash.net They're also carrying an interview with team CEO Nick Fry, in which he mentions the livery plans as well. :)

Jenson misses out on fourth award, set to miss ROC and Jerez tests as well

I'm sorry that I hadn't been able to post the past two days. Got sick and had to take some time out to rest. Anyhow, on to some Jenson news. :)

Jenson Button was in the running for a fourth award of the offseason, making it into the final ten nominees of this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. The award, however, went to Zara Phillips, with Jenson earlier being tagged as "fourth favorite" to win the award. You can read more about the official list of winners here, and more on the award from Wikipedia here.

Meanwhile, there's now apparently been confirmation that Jenson will indeed miss this week's final tests at Jerez, as well as the Race of Champions, which takes place in just 4 days' time. I'm awaiting official word from either Honda or ROC's site, but I suppose that's as good as certain already. Maybe next year then. For now, I hope Jenson spends his holidays wisely and heals those ribs up properly. Can't wait to see Jenson in the new RA107 when it comes out. :)

Honda tops timesheets at Jerez testing

Good sign for Honda, as they've topped the timesheets 1-2 at Jerez on Friday. Despite a rain-soaked morning, the track dried up well enough in the afternoon, and the Hondas were able to take advantage with some quick runs. Rubens Barichello set the fastest lap of the day with a time 1:20.008, with tester James Rossiter a close second with a time of 1:20.171. Rossiter was also able to complete 108 laps, good for second most on the day.

Not sure if Jenson was on hand for the day, but it must be encouraging to see your team at the top of the timesheets, even if it is just testing.

Go Honda!

Jenson Button site searching

I thought I'd use Yahoo!'s search engine (I'm a Googler, and I even carry a search bar on this blog right here) for a change and check out what they've got listed on Jenson Button.

Interestingly enough, there were two websites carrying Jenson's name that had no content whatsoever, www.jensonbutton.co.uk and www.jenson-button.co.uk (sorry, I won't link to sites with no content). I wonder who the domains are registered to? Maybe Jenson's people bought it just to make sure it stays with them. Ooh, or maybe Honda F1's web team is getting to work on a new Jenson homepage for us fans, after all the input and feedback that they've received from their recent survey (see race suit contest).

In any case, seeing those blank sites reminded me that Jenson's current official site is in need of some updates/makeovers. Even the forums could use some updates from the main admins. I mean, Honda F1's website is being kept current. I know it's the offseason and all, but even without any news, they've at least added a simple holiday "season's greetings" theme to it. Little things like that let the people that drop by know that the site's being maintained and looked after. And that keeps people coming back. Anyway, I'm sure Jenson's site will be much busier once the season gets underway. It'd just be nice to see updates and/or changes, especially in the offseason when there isn't much else to sustain interest in the site. Oh well.

Speaking of updates and back to the topic at hand, there seem to be a whole bunch of Jenson sites out there, but none that are really updated much. :( I featured some a few weeks back, and I'll feature one again, just for all of you that want to see Jenson over time. :)

This one, fly.to/jenson-button,, I'm thinking is from his Williams days. Great pictures from a few years back, if only for the rarity of seeing pictures such as those nowadays. :P

I'd really like to be able to feature more current sites though, so if you've got a Jenson site that you'd like even more fellow fans to drop by at, you're welcome to leave a comment and a link to your site here. I'd be more than happy to help spread the word even further. :)

Happy web-browsing everyone!

Oh Jenson's ribs!

Here's how the news on Jenson seems to have gone these past few days: Ribs, Award, Ribs, Award, Ribs, Award, Ribs.

Funniest take I've seen on it so far was by Kay_zee at the forums right here.

Newsflash!

Jenson has further strained his ribs this week, even though he's been told to play it safe for a few weeks.

It's believed the strain was caused by carrying all his awards home.

Hahaha. Not that Jenson's ribs are a laughing matter at all, it's just funny given the media coverage he's been getting for the combination of both.

I do hope he just heals up in peace. I want to see a healthy Button for 2007. And I don't think he's at much of a disadvantage at all. Despite getting the holidays off like Fernando and Kimi both have, Jenson has the advantage of already knowing who's who in his team. And he's able to attending testing sessions to monitor progress and obtain feedback from Rossiter and Klein. If anything, the rest should do Jenson some good and keep him fresh for his run at the title. :)

There's been talk of how Jenson's time out might negatively affect Honda's chances. Jenson's a pretty resilient driver though, and he's one of the best at adjusting at changing conditions (I read that somewhere, but I've forgotten where), so he should bounce back just fine.

He'll do well in 2007. And we'll all be happily cheering him on. Less ribs, more awards next year aye? :)

Jenson gets more rest

Jenson will be sitting out this week's tests at Jerez, and possibly next week's as well.

A team spokeswoman said: "The doctors took the view today that they would rather let it heal. We will think again later this week about the final test."

Senior Honda sources suggest that they would actually be happier for Button to sit out the final Jerez test next week, so that he is fully fit for the first running of Honda's 2007 challenger in the next year.

"It is better for him to rest and recover fully in time for the new car," said one source.

I think it'd better for him to rest it out, too. I wonder how this'll affect his ROC entry though. Surely it'd be better for him to sit that one out too. Maybe he can have more time to push for that book of his to get finished up and published. :)

Anyhow, that means that three of the top contenders for next year's championship, Jenson, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, will all be getting extra rest this holiday season. Think it'll do the three of them good? Well, I hope it does for Jenson. :)

Jenson's keeping it real for 2007

Looks like Jense is keeping it real this time around. Here's an exerpt from Autosport.com:

Jenson Button is trying hard to keep a lid on expectations for 2007, after Honda Racing failed to live up to the high target they had set themselves for this season.

Button and Honda had gone into 2006 predicting that they would be challenging for wins at every event.

Although that did not happen, the team did recover from a poor start to the campaign to post their maiden victory in Hungary, while Button was the highest points scorer in the final segment of the championship.

The lessons of last year, when the failure to deliver early in the season left the team facing a barrage of questions from the media, have been learned - and Button is keen not to hype things up too much this time around.

I think it's great that Jenson and his team aren't putting too much pressure on themselves like they did last year. They've got reasonably better chances at a more wide-open 2007, and with less pressure on themselves, they (and us fans) should be able to enjoy success that comes their way to start the season.

Awards galore for Jenson

In what fans like myself are hoping to be a sign of things to come, Jenson Button is winning a lot of stuff these days. Despite being unable to participate in testing while nursing a rib injury, Jenson has surely been kept busy collecting awards.


After winning F1 Racing magazine's "drive of the year" award last week, Jenson was presented with the British Competition Driver of the Year award at the prestigious Autosport Awards yesterday.

Commenting on the award, Jenson thanked the fans who had voted for him: “Having the support behind you makes the big difference. I have had a lot of support, even in the bad years, but to get the win this year was spectacular.”

Not long after that, Jense was likewise honoured at the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) Annual Awards with the very prestigious Graham Hill Trophy.

The Graham Hill Trophy is awarded for the ‘Most Meritorious Performance by a British Driver in Single-Seater Racing’ and was given to Jenson in recognition of his performance at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

“It’s been an exciting couple of weeks for me,” said the British star. “It’s great to know that there’s so much support out there and to get an award from the BRDC is an enormous privilege.”

That's just great stuff, isn't it? Jenson's getting 'round to winning more and more these days. Jense had been coming under heavy criticism for being unable to win a GP prior to his Hungaroring win, so the Autosport Award must've been really sweet for him, as he finally gets some love from those critics. If memory serves me right, Jense also won an award from BRDC in 2004, but I think this marks the first time that he's picked up the Graham Hill trophy. Hey, maybe he can do more of a Graham Hill and win the 2007 WDC. Hahahaha. Here's to hoping and wishing and praying he does, aye?

You can read more by clicking on the links above, or dropping by the Jenson Button forum.

Ho hum... more consumerism.

Jenson fans might find this site useful.

It's got some pictures of Jense from early on in his f1 career. What makes it worth mentioning though is that it's got this ebay tracker thing at the bottom. I'm not sure what exactly is called, but it does keep track of Jenson-related things up for auction, like autographed prints and even minichamps model cars.

Meanwhile, F1Fanatic.co.uk has featured a DVD covering the 2006 season. Might make a nice christmas present for fellow formula one fans. :)

Not much else new in the news today, as Jenson's currently healing up from his rib injury. Happy weekend to everyone out there!

Barcelona testing wraps up; Button spotted

Barcelona testing has officially wrapped up, with the Toyotas having the track all to themselves on Friday. Is this something of an unfair advantage? The Toyotas were able to pull of the only sub-01:16:000 laps of the week. Then again, they were probably just running with even more revs given the clear track. Oh well.

Anyway, despite his karting injury, Jenson was still on hand for the testing period. Possibly to monitor progress and obtain feedback from the test drivers. Too bad he hasn't been able to drive yet though. I hope his ribs heal up soon, and properly at that. Honda has a full report of how their testing week went here.

Interestingly enough, ButtonGod mentioned in the forums that Hill and Mansell were both recovering from injuries during the winter prior to their championships runs. Is this a sign of good things to come? Lets hope so!

Get well soon Jense!

Oh, and before I forget, here's a picture of Honda's black car:


Nice, isn't it? I think it's started to grow on me. Hahaha. They'll still be running whites though. I wonder when Honda'll be unveiling their car for the 2007 season?

A lap with Jenson? How about two?

Just wanted to share one of my fave YouTube vids, Jenson Button driving 'round the Melbourne track without any commentary.

Awesome stuff to just watch him drive. He makes it look so easy, doesn't he?

In case anyone would like more goodies to purchase

For those that are into Jenson Button collectibles, here's a link that might net you a few more goodies:

F1RacingShop.net

They've got diecast models and litographies available. And a cap too. :)

Happy shopping! :)

Jenson honoured by readers of F1 Racing.

Jenson wins 'Drive of the Year' for his fantastic breakthrough win at the 2006 Hungarian GP! Good on you Jense!


Here's an exerpt from the official HondaF1 press release:

Honda Racing F1 Team driver Jenson Button and 2006 Third Driver Anthony Davidson have been honoured by the readers of F1 Racing, the world’s best-selling grand prix magazine, in its 2006 Man of the Year Awards.

Jenson was praised as having made the ‘Drive of the Year’ with his breakthrough win from 14th on the grid at the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Anthony was recognised as Friday Driver of the Year. Nearly 50,000 of the magazine’s millions of readers worldwide registered their votes in this year’s awards - the biggest turn-out ever.

Of course, you can always read more at HondaF1's official site. :)

Is black the new white?

Formula One testing kicked off yesterday at Barcelona, and Formula1.com had this to say about Jenson and Honda:

Another man missing from this week’s line-up - though for very different reasons to Alonso and Raikkonen - is Honda’s Jenson Button. The British driver managed to crack two of his ribs in a recent karting accident and has opted to sit out the test to avoid aggravating the injury.

Honda are running their car with a black livery in Spain, and do not be surprised if other teams are sporting new graphics this week in light of the ban on tobacco advertising from 2007.

Black? Could they be running with that for the 2007 season? Hmm. (Formula1.com carries a picture of the black Honda in the article mentioned above... I'll try posting a picture as soon as one is made available).

I'm partial to the white and red that they've been running with since their launch as BAR. The new ban on tobacco ads takes that red Lucky Strike branding away though, so it will be interesting to see what colors Honda takes on for the 2007 season. I suppose black would be much better the potential green one.

Oh, and get well soon Jense!

*edit: It's been brought to my attention that Honda has run black before (Yup, on concept cars). With the Lucky strike branding out though, it's always fun to speculate on which livery Honda will take on for the 2007 season. Just like the green one. :)

---

On a side note, yup, that article from Linksheaven.com (above) was written by yours truly. Yay! I've become a contributor. Wish me luck these next few weeks as I work to establish myself as a permanent writer for this great F1 blog. :)

My World by Jenson Button

While Jenson heals up from his rib injury, you all might want to check out and purchase preview his book, My World.


It was published just last month, and is available supposed to have been published last month, as mentioned at Amazon.com here.

Book Description
Jenson Button entered the 2006 Formula One season with his best-ever chance of becoming world champion in what already looks like being the most open contest for the title in over a decade. The Honda team has spent fortunes to develop their car, and ensure that the progress of 2005 is just the start. So excited was Jenson by the prospects that he spent millions to buy himself out of his contract with Williams. Now he has decided to provide a full portrait of his life, speaking openly and honestly about his desire to be the best, the pressures he faces every time he races and his hopes for the future. Away from the circuits, he reveals much about his lifestyle and the glamour that attaches itself to the world's most exciting sport. This book provides unique access to Jenson Button's world, with candid photographs showing him both in his private moments and at the times of maximum exposure as the races get under way. This is a book that no fan of Jenson Button can afford to be without, nor anyone who wants to know what makes Britain's most exciting driver tick.

However, according to the forum peeps, it hasn't even been released yet. So I guess you can only pre-order it? You can still check it out at the link though. If it doesn't work, you could always just give it a search. It's bound to turn up at the top of the results page.

Now, I wonder if it's already available at our local bookstores. If someone does manage to get their hands on it, please let me know when and where you were able to get it. Ooh, and what it's like. Thanks! :D

*note: post edited after finding out from the forums that it hasn't been released yet. :(

Where in the world are you?

As if we were lost. Hahaha.

Here's another great way to help Jenson Button fans from all over the world come together and get spotted:

You can also check it out here.

So, where in the world are you? :)

Two race suit contest winners?!

I hadn't noticed this before, as I assumed that Jenson's official site had announced the same thing Honda F1 did... but apparently not. It was brought up recently in the forums, and there seems to have actually been two winners. Check it out:



What's up with that? If there were two winners, good for them. Otherwise, pity the person that saw their name up there only to find out that it was simply due to a glitch in the system. Maybe they should have a re-draw. Hahaha. Kidding. I hope Honda gets that one sorted out.

BATracer!!

I signed up for BATracer a few days back. I got myself into an F1 2002 league since Honda was already taken in the F1 2006 race (goes to show just how nuts I am about Honda F1... hahaha). So I picked BAR-Honda and got myself team leader. Hahaha. And I'm mightily proud of my race helmet, btw, which looks a lot like Jenson Button's. :D

Anyway, guess what? The results are just in from my first ever race! I finished 4th from 13th in the grid! Just behind two Ferarris and a McLaren! YAY! My team mate also finished high, 7th from 22nd!!! Go BAR-Honda!! Hahaha.

I just hope I get even more feedback from my team-mate. I'm quite particular about testing, and it really helps if he gets to give me feedback on a set-up that works. So far, so good though. :)

Curious? Sign up for BATracer, too! Maybe next month, we can all join up in one game. As long as I get a race seat at Honda, of course. Hahahaha.

Reminiscing: the 2006 Hungarian GP

It's fun reading other people's commentaries and recollections of events. I think getting different perspectives helps enrich one's own experience - it adds to the "completeness", giving it an added sense of clarity. Especially to those fondly remembered. That said, childofneptune.blogspot.com has a nice, play by play account of the Hungarian GP.

Me, I remember being all giddy and praying so hard that Jenson would just finish safely. I was all nervous watching Jense inching closer and closer to the chequered flag, yet thoroughly excited at the same time. It was such a big relief when he finally did, and made me believe even more in Jenson's talent and ability to win. I was like "YAY YAY YAY!" when he finally climbed that top step on the podium. Hahahaha.

What are your memories of Jenson's first win?

Get well soon Jenson!

Oh no.. Here's an exerpt from a Honda F1 report on the start of their winter testing program (and Jenson's health):

Jenson Button is currently en route from Japan where he attended the Honda Racing Thank You Day at the Motegi circuit on Thursday. There he met some of the 26,000 Honda customers invited to a special celebration of Honda’s motorsport participation. He recently sustained two hairline cracks to his ribs whilst participating in a karting test scheduled as part of his winter preparation. As a result, Jenson will not take part in next week’s test to ensure that the condition is not further aggravated.

I hope it heals up soon. It's currently being discussed in the forums here and here.

Putting some effort into it.

Just got back from forum posting. It's been really fun. I recommend any Jenson fans out there that haven't yet to join up, too. :)

Anyhow, I mistyped my blog's url and forgot to include the "fan" in jensonbuttonfan.blogspot.com. Lo and behold, there was a blog under jensonbutton.blogspot.com. It's nice to see other fans out there making an effort to start Button blogs too. Pity that it hasn't been updated though.

There's also this other blog that tops Google searches for "Jenson Button blog", and it hasn't been updated either. I think it's really sad that they just stay like that. Specially when it tops a Google search. I don't want that to happen to this blog (not being updated, that is). I want to keep updating as much as I can, because I do mean it when I say that I want to be able to cheer Jenson on and share it with you all.

That said, please share this blog with other Jenson fans that you know. And please try to link to my blog from your blogs/websites. Hopefully, when someone tries to search for a Jenson Button blog, they come here, where I hope to be able to continue sharing with them anything and everything Jenson. :)

I'm only happy when it rains

Post title was taken from an old Garbage song. Hahaha. What's it got to do with Jenson, you ask? Well, I just re-read an old interview by Rachel Cooke on Buzzle.com. And this paragraph really stood out:

So where does Jenson Button fit into all this? 'Button is a very, very quick driver,' James continues. 'Definitely one of the tiny few. "How can we tell?" you ask. The answer is that the difference shows up when it rains. Both Senna and Schumacher first leapt to prominence when the rain temporarily nullified the otherwise crippling disadvantage of second-rate machinery.

Wow. That was back in 2004. Jenson did get his breakthrough win at Hungaroring in the wets. Wouldn't it be nice for Jenson to someday rank among both Ayrton and Schumi among the sport's best? At the very least, 2007 should be a great year, with Honda's potential looking as bright as ever. That should really bring out the talent that Jenson has. I hope, I hope, I hope.

Just to be absolutely sure though, maybe we could "seed" the clouds to make it rain on every single grand prix in '07. Hahahahaha. Just kidding.

Go Jenson!

On Jenson Button Websites

First off, I've finally been able to watch Jenson's vid at the Royal Albert Hall. YAY! Here's a screenshot:


I've had difficulty logging on with Firefox, so I switched back to Explorer just to try out Jenson's site. Thankfully, it worked then. :) I wonder if the site's got compatibility issues with Mozilla Firefox or there's something in my browser settings that keeps it from loading and working right. Hmph. Oh well. At least I've finally been able to access members' content. It's free, by the way, so all Button fans who haven't yet, you can sign up at his official site.

I've also been able to access the forums, and I've signed up for that too. YAY! Now I get to share with even more Jenson fans around the world. :)

Here's a temporary little siggy I made for the forums:


Design-wise, it's not much yet, but I'm learning photoshop as I go. I'm also learning about blogging and (trying to learn) css programming, so hopefully I'll get to give this layout a makeover and give it a more "Jenson-ish" feel. I'll also try to figure out how to make "" blog tags work here on blogspot, so I can maybe cut up the posts to make it easier for everyone to scroll through the main blog page and pick out what you all would want to read. Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)

So for all those that haven't yet, you can sign up for two great websites: Jenson's official site at www.JensonButton.com and the Jenson Button Forum. It's a great way to cheer Jenson on and share that passion and excitement with other fans from all over the globe. See you there! :)

Button's race suit takes a trip to Oz

HondaF1 finally posted word on their Jenson Button race suit contest:

HondaRacingF1.com’s latest competition offered a fabulous prize – one of Jenson Button’s race suits, signed by the Honda Racing F1 Team driver himself. We are now pleased to announce the winner.

Congratulations to Julie Vella from Australia, who was selected by Jenson at random from nearly 5000 entrants.

The prize-draw competition asked Honda Racing F1 Team fans to tell us what they would like to see on Jenson’s own website: www.jensonbutton.com. For those that didn’t win this time, the feedback that has been obtained is much appreciated and will help to shape the future of his personal website.

Look out for a new competition on HondaRacingF1.com in the next few weeks!

Wow! Congratulations to Julie Vella indeed! Lucky lucky! For all of us fans that didn't win, there's always the next contest. Hahaha.

I really hope the entries help Honda's web team create even better content for us Button fans! YAY! :)

Speaking of which, Jenson's got a new video clip posted on his site! I'm having trouble viewing it at the moment though, so I'm not sure if the site navigation's buggy or my connection's just acting up right now. Grr. I'll try again later and post more info on it right away. Happy viewing to those that can! :)

On the 2007 Formula One race calendar

The 2007 F1 race calendar has gotten a bit shorter again, hasn't it? After reaching a peak of 19 races in 2005, the line-up has gone from 18 in 2006 to 17 for 2007 (with the very real prospect of getting trimmed to an even lower 16 with the possibility of alternating Magny-Cours and Silverstone in the years to come).

These changes can't be good for fans, can it? I mean, I know they're trying to cut down on costs and all, even getting the cars trimmed down to make it more competitive for everyone involved in the sport. But can Formula One really afford to continue cutting back on the number of races?

Formula One is supposed to showcase the very best drivers driving the very best, cutting-edge cars. It brands itself as the penultimate event in open-wheel racing. It even makes a solid case for the best in all of motorsport. That's what makes it so fun to watch. Yet here they go limiting development on the cars WHILE giving us less races to watch? Nearly a month in between Bahrain and the launch of the European leg in Catalunya? C'mon. What can they be thinking?

*sigh*

I just really think it would be better for the sport if it was able to showcase the amazing machines that are Formula One cars on a more regular and frequent basis. As a fan, I would definitely love even more races to watch (and cheer Jenson on his impending championship run). Wouldn't you?

Then again, I really don't know all that much yet about what goes on behind the scenes. Maybe the constructors prefer a lighter schedule to give us better performing cars for the race weekends. I don't know. So if anyone can, please, do enlighten me.

Anthony Davidson on Jenson Button

I was browsing through some Ant stuff for a bit, and found this little tidbit from an interview on Crash.net:

Q:
There could be as many as four British drivers in F1 next year, which is good to the sport in this country. How much are you looking forward to the chance to rekindle the old karting battles that you used to have with Jenson?

AD:
A lot. Hopefully, we are in a position to be high up on the grid as Jenson probably will be and I won't be looking for him in my mirrors during the race as he comes round to lap me! It will be good to be out on the same track as him and I hope we can have some good battles.

Aguri and Honda are two totally different teams but, as I said earlier, I am still in the Honda family and it will be interesting to not only fight with Jenson but with the team I used to work with - it will be quite strange.

Just wanted to share that. There isn't much else on the news at the moment. Ant deserves his time in the spotlight though. After all those years behind Jenson and Taku (and then Rubens), I'm glad that he finally gets his chance at Super Aguri (with Taku... yet again). He's a lightning-quick driver, and his testing and development abilities will be greatly missed at the factory Honda team.

Anthony Davidson Fan Blog

Just stumbled upon an Anthony Davidson fan blog. :)

All you Ant and Honda fans might want to check it out, as well as their neat website at AntDavidson.com.

I hope Ant starts scoring some serious points for Super Aguri Honda this year. Oh, and by the way, Ant will start the 2007 season at 27 too. 27 IS good. Hahaha. :)

Is 27 already too old?

Is 27 already too old to win a championship in today's Formula One? Jenson Button will have turned 27 by the start of the 2007 F1 season, and with already 118 Grand Prix starts under his belt and just one (albeit spectacular and well-earned) win to show for it, a lot of people have been doubting if Jenson will ever win a championship.

Much of it, I think, is due to the fact that drivers are getting started much, much earlier these days. And they're getting thrust into the media spotlight like crazy.

There's certainly a lot being said about how young the likes of Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica are, and it isn't without good reason, given the way they've already performed. At age 20, Rosberg (now 21) became the youngest driver in F1 to set a fastest lap (set during his points-scoring debut at the 2006 Bahrain GP). Kubica, meanwhile, drove to a podium finish at the 2006 Monza GP. Similarly, teener Sebastian Vettel set the fastest times at the Turkish GP practice sessions without any prior F1 or track experience! Add to that the retirement of Schumi, and the possibility of Lewis Hamilton being thrown into the mix (also 21), and these guys are already being tipped as the future of Formula One.

Having started at roughly the same age as these "next gen" racers and racking up 118 races along the way, it certainly does make Jenson's 27 years look old, doesn't it?

But is 27 really too old? I think not.

You've got to remember that those 118 races also mean 118 races worth of experience. That experience is invaluable, and it should speak volumes about the top-level consistency of performance that Jenson has found for himself. Jenson is now entering his prime. The young guns may be fast, but it remains to be seen whether they (and their teams) can be consistent enough to fight for a championship.

A lot of it is also down to the car, and I think the upcoming season is as good as any for Honda and Jenson to finally win it all. Bernie [Ecclestone] can diss Jenson all he wants, but I do believe firmly in Jenson's dedication to testing (the most of anyone last winter), commitment and ability to win a Formula One Driver's Championship. The pieces are in place for Jenson to finally deliver on the promise of his talent; I believe that he can, and that he will win it all this year.

The likes of Rosberg and Kubica may be the future, but this season is Jenson's to take.

Emerson Fittipaldi, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso may have all won multiple championships before they turned 27, but one of the greatest, the late Ayrton Senna, hadn't even gotten his first until the age of 28.

27 sounds just about right.

(Go Jenson!)

Limited edition RA106 model

Oh wow.. Check this out:

Now that is one amazingly detailed model. It's a limited-edition run; only 50 handmade 1/8 scale replicas were made. The RA106 is Jenson's, supposedly based on the car Button brought to third in the 2006 Malaysian GP. It's very pretty, but it also comes with a steep price tag. At $4912.96, this isn't a "toy" for just anyone. That's as close as real gets though to owning an RA106, so the few that do get to purchase this thing are pretty lucky.

I wish someone could buy one for me. Buy me one please? :D

121 days to go!

121 days til the opening in Melbourne! Hahaha. I noticed the countdown on the HondaF1 site just now. That's roughly four more months from today. Pft. Still a long way to go.

As big an F1 fan as I am, I've never actually watched a grand prix in person. I really wish I could though. Problem is, I'd need some serious fundage to watch one. I seriously doubt there'd ever be a grand prix held here, so I'd have to plan a trip to the Asian races, or maybe even the Aussie one. Still, it'd probably be well worth it. Then I could meet Jenson. And take his car out for a test drive, too. Hahahaha. Hey, a guy can dream. And who knows? It could happen someday. :P

Anyway, still no news on the the Jenson Button race suit contest winner. Gah. I suppose whoever won it would've been notified by now. And since I haven't been contacted for anything, I think it's pretty safe to assume that I didn't win. Oh well. :(

121 days more and there'll be another race suit being put to use. Maybe they'll raffle that one out by the end of the 2007 season. And hopefully it'll be a championship-winning one then. Hahaha.

Looking forward to the RoC

Not much in the news today.

The Autosport Team England squad for this year's Race of Champions (RoC) has been finalized with the addition of 2005 WTCC champion Andy Priaulx. Priaulx joins Jenson in what should be a pretty solid pairing for the Nation's Cup event. I can't wait to see the race. I just hope it gets televised over here. Hahaha.

Still no word on the Jenson Button's Race Suit contest winner, although the contest page has already been closed. I wonder who the lucky person is?

That's about it really. *yawn* I'm off to rest. Good day everyone!

Jenson Button's motorhome

Jenson's motorhome is reportedly up for sale. For £200k. I can only wish that I had that much money on me right now. Hahahaha.


Anyone interested? You can check it out at Pitpass and Edwards Hospitality Services.

EDIT: Hahaha. This article from itv-f1.com was just too funny to pass up. Click on the link to get an "idea" of what Jenson's might be replacing his motorhome with. :D

EDIT part II: Ooh.. is this Jenson's new motorhome?

Things to read from months past

For all those who haven't come across it yet (it came out about a month after the win at the Hungaroring), I think this article by The Sunday Times Online on Jenson makes for a good read. It's a bit lengthy, but it does share with its readers a glimpse of what Jenson's like.

You've also got Button's exclusive year end interview from Formula1.com.

Happy reading! :)

Honda signs Klein

Just checked in on Honda F1's site. No winner has been announced yet for the Jenson Button Race Suit contest. They've posted news on their test driver line-up for 2007 though.

The Honda Racing F1 Team is pleased to announce its test driver line-up for the 2007 Formula One season. Joining race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will be Christian Klien in the role of Test and Reserve Driver, while James Rossiter steps up to the role of an official test driver.

Klein had been in competition with McLaren's Gary Paffet for the role (see Crash.net and Eurosport.com) after third driver Anthony Davidson secured a well-deserved race seat at Super Aguri Honda (all the best to him!).

With Klein, Honda gets some three years of invaluable race experience and technical know-how. He could also conceivably fill in rather ably for either race driver should the need ever arise. Paffet, I suppose, is back to competing with Lewis Hamilton and Pedro Dela Rosa for the second McLaren seat alongside Alonso.

So there. Just wanted to report on that. On to Jenson news...

Jenson Button Fan Listing

Just joined a Jenson Button Fan Listing! Join up too! :)

Get a chance to win Jenson's race suit!

I don't know if it's still on, since the notice posted was as follows:

The winner of the signed race suit will be selected on Monday 15 November 2006 and announced on HondaRacingF1.com shortly thereafter.

Weeell, Monday was last November 13... but... since the winners haven't been announced yet (the racing forever contest draw has been the only one posted thus far) and the link is still active, I'm thinking that the right date would be for today, Wednesday, November 15, 2006. If it is, you could still get a chance to win Jenson's race suit!

If you somehow manage to stumble across my site within the next few minutes (highly improbabale, I know, but it's worth a shot), do please enter! You only have to fill out a quick survey on which features you'd like to see on JensonButton.Com. It's a good chance to help give the Honda web team some valuable feedback, and there's a cool prize in store for ya if you win! The current site's a bit slow, and there are nav glitches, so any improvement there would be a big plus (remember, your chance to win the race suit is also a chance to let the people at HondaF1 know how they might be able to improve Jenson's site!). Hurry and join up while you still can!

Introduction FanButton!

Hello! My name's Josh. I'm an Alonso, but I'm not related to Fernando (or at least, I don't think I am). I've been a big fan of F1 since I was a kid (the Ayrton Senna/Alain Prost/Gerhard Berger days) and I've been a loyal fan to what is now the Honda Racing F1 Team since its inception as BAR [Supertec] in 1999. I started out cheering for Jacques, but Jenson won me over in 2003 with his driving, and I've been a HUGE Button fan ever since!

I think by now it's been established that Jenson's got remarkable consistency and excellent race pace, but I think what really sets him apart is his smooth driving style. He may not be as aggressive as the likes of Fernando and Michael, but he can definitely make going fast, fast, fast look so effortless. And I like that.

Take Jenson's maiden victory at the Hungaroring, for example. Now that was an absolute stunner! I mean, starting from 14th in the grid to chasing and gaining on Fernando (until the latter's retirement) in rain-soaked conditions? WOW. That race was a true showcase of Jenson's talents - his consistency and resiliency, his racing smarts and his smooth driving style.

Team-wise, Honda hasn't always been able to provide Jenson with the most reliable and consistently competitive package out there. It's been maddening at times to watch them set the bar during practice and testing only to see them sputter during the actual race. When they do get it right though, they are fun to watch and root for.

If the last few races of 2006 season are any indication of form for the 2007 season, then they are getting there - and in a big way, too. Jenson finished the year with a flourish, scoring the most points of anyone (yup, besting even Fernando and Schumi Sr) since his Hungaroring win. Yeah, yeah. That's been seemingly pointed out a lot lately... but hey, why not? It IS impressive, and with the engine freeze coming up, we can and should expect more of the same good stuff for the upcoming season.

Now that the 2006 season's over, there has been a bit of a lull in the stream of happenings around Formula One. Most of the racing seats have been secured, and testing no longer seems to be as furious with the expected homologation taking effect. All that does nothing to discourage my Jenson fandom though! Hurrah for him year round!

Over the next few months, I'll be crawling the web for any news and scoops on anything Button. I'll also be checking for any updates from both Honda and Jenson's official sites. And posting them here, of course. So do check back, because I personally like keeping posted on my favorite driver. And if he's yours too, then I'd very much like to be able to share that with you. Go Jenson!