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| Tyred of the same old, same old |
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| Written by Kate Walker |
| Monday, 23 November 2009 12:57 |
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Yes, Button is a smooth Sunday driver, steering his car around the track in a manner not dissimilar to an earlier back-to-back champion, Alain Prost. He is one of the grid's better drivers when it comes to tyre and brake management, which should give him some advantage - especially over his aggressive new teammate - but that's far from being the whole story. The 2010 F1 season will see in-race refuelling banned for the first time since 1994, among a litany of other major and minor changes to the rules. It is this change to the fuelling that looks to be of the most interest. Pit stop strategy will continue to play a small role in track position, as the regulations governing the use of two tyre compounds per race still stands. However, the days of podium finishes being decided by the technical brains on the pit wall seem to be on their way out. Qualifying will no longer be affected by race fuel loads, meaning that Q3 should see drivers posting impressive lap times, running their cars on little more than fumes. While it has been suggested that this could be the final nail in the Hermann Tilke-designed overtaking coffin, I am more optimistic. We are well-used to seeing unlikely cars pip pole position in the final moments of qualifying. When these cars are struggling off the start line encumbered by around 200kg of fuel, overtaking will happen, but it is likely to be more dangerous, especially in the early part of the season as drivers get used to the weight and handling of these new machines. It would certainly be amusing to see cars in pole position sputter to a halt in sight of the finish line, in an homage to the 1964 Belgian Grand Prix, which saw Dan Gurney, Graham Hill, and Bruce McLaren all run dry in the final laps, but the hi-tech equipment in constant use in modern F1 makes such a scenario unlikely. The biggest loser in light of these new fuel regulations is in fact the tyres. We have all seen race results affected by tyre disasters. Nigel Mansell had one contesting the 1986 World Championship, and 21 years later Lewis Hamilton saw his own title hopes grow slimmer following his tyre disaster at the 2007 Shanghai Grand Prix. It is no secret that running with a full fuel load will cause extra stress on the tyres, especially at the beginning of the race, when they have yet to warm up. The heavier fuel weights will also have an effect on handling, an effect which is liable to change over the course of the race as the load changes. Drivers will have to become adept at managing the tyres while also adjusting to the constant changes in handling. In analysing Button's move to McLaren the perceived wisdom appears to be that McLaren see in Button the opportunity to spread their bet for 2010. Lewis is the fastest driver of the two, but his more aggressive style is likely to lead to wear and tear on the tyres not dissimilar to that seen in Shanghai. Blown tyres do not win championships. Button's smoother style will cause less stress to the tyres, and the tortoise could well out-run the hare. I disagree. While F1 pundits have made no secret of late of Button's need for the perfect car set-up, they have not connected this need with next year's rule changes. If Button needs to have the perfect car to win races, the technical bods at McLaren will have their work cut out for them to ensure that the world champion's car is as perfect in the final laps as it was when the lights went out. Smooth on tyres he may be, but can Button handle the changing demands of the car as the fuel weight goes from 200kg to 2kg, with the corresponding balance changes? In 2009 we saw Lewis put his prodigious talent to use to wrestle an abysmal machine from back of the grid to podium finishes. While much has been made of his impressive performances in the latter half of the season, when McLaren had begun to upgrade the car and resolved issues with downforce, it was his performance at the Melbourne Grand Prix that deserved to make history. And make history it did, in the form of the Lie-gate scandal. Scandal aside, it is worth remembering that with or without the move on Glock, Hamilton had managed to come from the back of the field in a soapbox racer, moving from 18th on the grid to a contested third or disqualified fourth, depending on your allegiances. If McLaren deliver the goods with the MP4-25, we are in for a battle for team supremacy the likes of which we have not seen since McLaren 2007. If the car's set-up works for Jenson, he will deliver a masterclass in tyre management on the track. It remains to be seen how he will cope with the ever-changing demands of the car over the course of the race, but one hopes that with 10 years' experience and one world championship under his belt he will now have the necessary confidence in his car to deliver consistent performances on a par with his championship-winning drive in Brazil. That assumption fails to take Lewis' 2009 season into account, however. The young prodigy grew into the mantle of champion as the season progressed. Lewis learned about defeat, and suffered the indignities of dropping out of qualifying in the first session – on more than one occasion. He also learned how to motivate his team, and how to turn that motivation into results. His eleventh-hour crash at Monza was a reminder of the Lewis we'd seen in his first season on the grid, always chasing the man in front and hang the consequences. But the fact that Monza sticks out, that it is the memorable self-inflicted DNF of the season, shows the extent to which Lewis has matured. To get the better of Button, all Lewis needs to do is learn to manage his tyres. To get the better of Lewis, Jenson must first learn the ways of McLaren, which includes learning how to work with his new engineers. He must also find the confidence to take on one of Formula 1's great talents without doubting himself. Finally, he has to let go of his need for the perfect car. In a season set to bring about great changes, Jenson Button will find that he needs to change most of all. by Kate Walker for Girlracer Magazine
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