Christian Klien Confirmed As Third Driver

[Senna 0]

Drivers in their 6th year shouldn't have potential they should be at their peek.

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We say Jenson has potential because he has never been in an outstanding car so he has never had the opportunity to convert his potential into significant results. Jenson proved that he was better than JV in 2003 so it necessarily follows that had he been in cars as good as the 1996 and 1997 Williams, he would have done at least as well, and probably better than the Canadian.

[Sato 0]

JV was far from his peek in 2003, not to mention the 2004 car should of won atleast once, and he failed with many chances.

[Senna 0]

JV was far from his peek in 2003, not to mention the 2004 car should of won atleast once, and he failed with many chances.

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JV was not far from his peak in 2003, he is however far from his peak in 2005. Jenson had the pace to win the German GP but was unlucky considering his grid position; he certainly did not have many chances to win considering the utter dominance of Ferrari in 2004. Sato drove the same car as Jenson last year but he was completely annihilated by the young Brit. Jenson has beaten Jarno, JV (competitive) and Sato in recent years as is rightly being touted as a future star of F1.

[Jenson_Rules 0]

what is it with you and 6th season etc. This is his 5th season!!! although its highly unlikely he will win WDC this year!

He may be in his fith season, but he is also just 25!!!

[Sato 0]

so, age doesn't matter he's still be around long enough to no have potential left.

[Taku 0]

i think one would be exagherrating if one said that jb is God at bar honda.

he is their best available driver, yes. losing him would be a significant setback, yes. but they would by no means be worshipping him, nor hanging on his evry word. the realtionship is merely one of mutual interests, as button has already shown in the past. bar certainly don't want to lose him, but he's no senna in the eyes of bar honda.

[5P33D3V1L 0]

Sato and Taku I agree with both of you Button has had some many chances to prove himself its unbelievable. In his 5th of 6th season now and he hasn't even won a race yet Alonso manged it, Raikkonen managed it, Montoya managed it, and if you was a truly great driver Button should of won last year. I agree he isnt a bad driver but to me he gets so much attention because he is the only useful British driver at the moment. I remember that Briatore replaced Button for Alonso what a good decision that was. I hope JB does well this season but to me he is going to be the new DC but hopefully change to the new Damon Hill.

[Senna 0]

so, age doesn't matter he's still be around long enough to no have potential left.

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Before the start of this season many people said Fizzy had potential but that he hadn

[nojvnof1 0]

you JB fans make me laugh, seriously though, first things first, this is indeed JB's 6th season:2000, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, that's six, one less than seven, one more than five

Now, as for this whole JV being close to his peak in 2003, look, most JV fans concede JB did a better job in '03 than JV, but to say he beat JV at his best is a joke, stop kidding yourselves, everyone knows if JB had met the JV of 2000 (which was his best season in alot of people's views), JB would have been eaten up for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!

Yes, he was better in 2003, but I'd have liked to see how well he would have went if their reliability records were reversed and DR was messing around with him instead of Jacques. The ideal situation would have been for JV and JB to have gotten the Williams drives, that way we'd have seen who really was the better driver.

As for '96 and '97, you can only be matched up against the opposition at the time, and he did pretty well, yeah he had the best car, but M$ has had the best car since '00 (except for '03 and this year), but no-one says anything there! You could match their rookie years though, JB doesn't get a podium in a car capable of podiums, first year blues nothing, the car was good enough, he wasn't. In his first year, JV in a title winning car challenged his much more experienced teammate all the way to the final race, he didn't win it, but he challenged for it, so he made full use of his equipment, especially the following year, JB didn't seeing as his teammate got podiums. Im not saying JB should have won or anything in '00 but the car was good enough to podium, he wasn't.

Where does this lead into?? In their first years, one met the potential of the car, the other didn't, and he who didn't, got lucky when they met up. What next, Button better than Fangio!! Wouldn't be surprised to hear someone say it, or that he has the potential.......

[Senna 0]

JV is overrated in my opinion. Let

[5P33D3V1L 0]

JV is overrated in my opinion.  Let

[bajo39 0]

So he is a great asset to the team but I feel he is overrated but if he weren't in F1 he would be missed like Sato they aint the best in F1 but F1 needs their characters.

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I don't think Bernie would campaign on Sato's bahelf if he were to be unfairly ousted from his race seat.

[bajo39 0]

Sato and Taku I agree with both of you Button has had some many chances to prove himself its unbelievable. In his 5th of 6th season now and he hasn't even won a race yet Alonso manged it, Raikkonen managed it, Montoya managed it, and if you was a truly great driver Button should of won last year. I agree he isnt a bad driver but to me he gets so much attention because he is the only useful British driver at the moment. I remember that Briatore replaced Button for Alonso what a good decision that was. I hope JB does well this season but to me he is going to be the new DC but hopefully change to the new Damon Hill.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think Jenson is a very good driver - not an excellent driver like MS, KR or FA but a very good driver nonetheless. Your comment that the hype surrounding him is a direct result of his nationality is absolutely correct. It seems a bit obvious to me but I suppose some on this forum are in the dark on this issue.

[bajo39 0]

Yes, he was better in 2003, but I'd have liked to see how well he would have went if their reliability records were reversed and DR was messing around with him instead of Jacques. The ideal situation would have been for JV and JB to have gotten the Williams drives, that way we'd have seen who really was the better driver.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is the correct response. JB appeared to be a lot better but when due consideration is given for the peculiar adveristies that JV faced, e.g. appalling reliability, DR singling him out for criticism, etc, it becomes clear that their respective talent levels were in fact a lot closer.

[nojvnof1 0]

that's the problem, the JB fans won't give due consideration to this. Senna, lucky or not, if JV weren't good enough to drive the car then Sir Frank and Patrick would not have put JV in the car. As Sir Frank said "we thought anyone who could control those cars (Indycars) and win was a bit of a winner, so we gave him a go" He got in at the right place at the right time, and took full advantage of that, as a top driver should.

The gap to Damon was 19 points, but only after JV had to retire in Japan when his right rear tyre detached itself from the car when he was 4th. Watch Portugal '96, you'll see JV lost 20 seconds to DH in the first stint of the race, then reel him back in to win the race, yes DH had a clutch problem, but that was after JV passed him. To get so close to a driver who is supposedly so good is a fine achivement, on tracks he'd never seen. Yes he had a big advantage, but he made full use of that, which shows how great he was. Besides, I'd have thought Damon was at his best in 1996. He was excellent in 93 and 94, dire in 95 then drove well from 96-98. Look, what M$ did with that Ferrari was down to his sheer talent, he's a step above JV and DH.

I'd have thought JV drove pretty well in '98 and 2000 in cars which were not all that flash, I'd go as far as saying his '00 season was his best in F1. Far more consistent and quick than in '97.

[Taku 0]

He has got a lot of improving to do and I would like to see him improve but it must be said that he was incredibly lucky to debut in the 1996 Williams Renault.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i don't think it was incredibly lucky of jv to get the williams driver. he was doing well and f1 came calling. i'm sure williams wasn't the only team interested.