Formula 1 world champion in 2009 and Fernando Alonso’s partner in 2015 and 2016, in conversation with EL MUNDO he values the Spanish’s excellent start to the season: “He is the driver with the most passion I know”
Appears Jenson Button around the Australian circuit of Albert Park with the bearing of an English gentleman, the most elegant in the paddock, this time to act as a commentator for Sky Sports and as an ambassador for the Hackett brand and its new spring-summer campaign. “I don’t know much about fashion, but I know what I like, what suits me, what gives me confidence. In the new collection there is a suit in light tones that I will wear a lot and a green jacket that I love,” he told the 43-year-old who was Formula 1 champion in 2009 with Brawn GP and a teammate from Fernando Alonso at McLaren Honda in 2015 and 2016. No one better to analyze the Spaniard’s start with Aston Martin this season, two consecutive podium finishes and a radiant horizon.
- How far will Fernando Alonso go?
- I don’t know, but it’s really exciting, isn’t it? For those of us who follow Formula 1 this start of the year for Fernando is a joy, we know that every Sunday we have guaranteed fun. After his time at Renault it seemed that with every team change he was wrong or unlucky. Now he finally has a competitive car and it’s great to see him. I don’t know how far to go, but it will be fun to follow in his footsteps.
- How have you lasted so long without victories?
- His greatest virtue has always been not to give up. He never gives up. Because he is very strong mentally and because he loves to run. He is the driver with the most passion I know, if he could he would race every Sunday, in Formula 1, in karts, in whatever. For me passing Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain was a great moment, a very exciting moment, a moment that will be remembered when he retires.
- Alonso is 41 years old. The age of the pilot no longer matters.
- If you keep up the desire… Fernando and I belong to the first generation of drivers who, since childhood, from karts, worked hard in the gym, worked on their reflexes and, in general, took great care of their bodies with the help of trainers and physiotherapists. Before it was different, that’s why at the age of 30 they already suffered from ailments. Now you can compete at the highest level beyond the age of 40. As long as you keep the desire, of course.
- What were the years you shared at McLaren like?
- The truth? I was lucky that my partner left at the end of my career, when I already had experience. Fernando is very smart, he knows what works and what doesn’t, he knows the strengths and weaknesses of his partner… He was a tough partner, but in the end we worked quite well together. It was a shame that we couldn’t compete for victories, for podiums, but we also had fun times.
- explain, explain
- I remember Interlagos in 2015, I would even say that I have the photo somewhere. We both lived through a horrible weekend, a very bad qualifying, a very bad race, but we passed the podium, got on and took a picture. It was a way of taking the iron out of what we were experiencing. Those years the car was not ready to compete and all I had was to beat Fernando, it was my motivation in every race.
- What went wrong with that McLaren Honda?
- A little everything. McLaren blamed Honda, Honda blamed McLaren and there was not the necessary harmony, there was not a good atmosphere of collaboration. McLaren is a historic team and Honda has made magnificent engines, but that was not the time to get together. Fernando and I suffered it.
- Will Red Bull escape any victory this year?
- As the World Cup has started, I’m not very optimistic. In the qualys it seems that everyone is more even, but then in the races… We still have to wait and see what happens in the next three or four circuits. I hope that the fight for victories is more open, although the season will be exciting anyway. Behind the Red Bull there are many candidates for the podium and every Sunday there will be a battle.
- Let’s say that you are called by a team that fights for the podiums. Would you return to Formula 1?
- No. It’s not my world anymore. Mentally it is very difficult to maintain motivation because of the pressure you put on yourself, because one bad race weighs more than ten good races. It is difficult to endure. That’s why I said that Fernando is very strong. In my last two seasons, so far from victories and podiums, he lost his will. In addition, Formula 1 has changed.
- In what sense?
- It has changed for the better in many ways, it has more fans around the world, a lot of attention from young people, a lot of interest from sponsors, but the exposure is much more. I remember when smartphones arrived; then we already lost privacy. In recent years, it has gone a step further in this regard. With the reality documentary [el ‘Drive to Survive’ de Netflix] there is a camera and a microphone in each corner. The races are still interesting, but I don’t know if I would adapt.
- At Sky Sports he seems to really enjoy being a commentator.
- I do. Because I work with very good people, I comment with Crofty [David Croft, el Antonio Lobato ingls], I am very comfortable. There are even times when I get just as excited as when I was driving. It’s fun, really. And it also has its share of challenges, it’s not just talking, it’s explaining to viewers aspects that can be complicated.
- And he still hasn’t stopped competing.
- No the truth. I now live in Los Angeles, where I met my wife [la modelo Brittny Ward] and my children were born [Hendrix y Lenny], and there I have had the opportunity to run in Nascar. This year I will contest three races and I would like to do more in the future, but first I need to learn how to race in ovals. I even think about competing for a whole season because the atmosphere is fantastic, I can be in the paddock with my family. He is also running Kimi raikkonen and it’s fun to meet again.
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