Wet Friday morning kicks off season!

Wet weather racing is always so much more fun to watch and read about. :D

In an excellent start to this year's Formula One season, a damp but drying track provided some exciting moments at the Melbourne track, with times steadily dropping as practice wore on and all the teams seemingly getting in the mix. Conditions like these make it difficult to assess exactly how far along these cars are - i.e. Taku going 11th fastest while Kimi holds out for 19th - so there's still a big air of suspense, at least on my part, for the later practices and the race itself. I'm still dying to see how these cars stack up against one another on bone dry conditions.

Two things I'm sure of at this point though, Fernando Alonso will always be quick, and Jenson Button is an amazing wet weather driver. Both guys were mixing it up rather well eh? Too bad Kimi sat out the latter stages of practice. Oh well. Great start still. Here's a good progressive commentary/recap from Formula One's official website:

A slippery start in Melbourne

Go Jenson GO GO GO! :) :)

What if F1 had similar cars for all the teams? :P

Just browsing through news articles from last year. Here's an exerpt that got me thinking, from when Jenson said he could do better than Schumi:

"I'd be devastated if I didn't win the championship because it's what I've always wanted to achieve," he added. "I work so hard - harder than people realise. If I didn't win the world championship in the future I won't be able to live with myself, probably. But Honda won't leave F1 until they win the championship.

"I'm not satisfied because I'm disappointed to have spent so long not winning races. I've been asked the question so many times about not winning in 100 races. But nobody would have won a race in the cars that I had in those 100 races. I'm 100 per cent sure of that."

Don't you just wish there was a way to test how these drivers would perform given similar machinery, ala A1? I know part of what makes F1 great is too see just how far these manufactures can take and develop their cars, given all the rules and technology at hand. But it's about the drivers too. Wouldn't it to have been nice to see just how fast Alonso already was in his Minardi days compared to the rest of the field? Or even Jenson in his Benetton days, for that matter.

Maybe F1 could do a sprint race, where they all race similar machinery, like in A1. Hahaha. So you'd have a race of drivers. And then you could follow that up with the drivers stepping in their team cars for the feature race. :P Or even just a one-off race at the end of the year where they race cars made somewhat according to the winning manufacturer's specs, or at the start of the year even, using a car patterned after the previous season's winner. :P

Just wishful thinking. :)

New cars, new looks, same contenders

From the official (see the likes of McLaren's MP4-22), to the not so official (see Renault's R27 racer), new cars are rolling out for 2007, giving us sneak peeks into what the cars will look like once they take to the circuits for a brand new season of Formula One racing.

It's all very exciting to see what shapes and liveries the new cars take on, and even seeing the drivers in their all new looks and do's as well. Fernie with his new haircut and Vodafone suit, Kimi in red (which I personally find not to be his color at all). Unfortunately for us Honda and Jenson fans, we have and will continue to be waiting a tad longer to see what the new car will look and drive like (RA107 launch is late January, with the livery to follow at a yet to be announced date the following month). And because of Jenson's injury, we have also yet to see Jenson suit up and drive during winter testing.

No matter though, a lot if it should still stay the same for Honda and its drivers. It's arguably got the most continuity and stability going for it among the top teams (Gil de Ferran has gone on record saying that it is a positive, as has Nick, although we best not get our hopes up too much). Fernando Alonso echoed these sentiments recently, when sharing how he "fully expects" Jenson to be one of his main rivals for this year's championship (*knock on wood*).

So has anything really changed? In terms of who's favored, probably not. Jenson, Kimi and Fernie are still up there; Massa and Fischi are bound to be mixing it up as well. It's all speculation at this point anyway. But, as a fan, I do hope 2007 will be more exciting, and have more surprises in store for us. And hopefully for Jense fans, it'll be of the good kind - plenty of exciting racing capped by both expected and unexpected wins galore.

Anyone got a fast forward Button? :P

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.

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! :)

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. :)

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!)

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...

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!