McLAREN FIRST TO GET CONSECUTIVE CHAMPIONS

+ Click to Enlarge A REAL CHALLENGE: 2009 World champion Jenson Button (right) will take on 2008 title-holder Lewis Hamilton in identical cars. Image: Reuters

November 22, 2009

McLaren will become the first team in the history of Formula 1 to feature the most recent consecutive World champions after confirming it has signed Jenson Button to race alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2010.

Despite insisting both drivers will receive equal treatment, however, the Woking-based team will pay Button an annual salary of R94-million - around half what it will pay Hamilton.

The first pairing of British World champions since Graham Hill partnered Jim Clark at Lotus in 1968 will have the team's marketing and commercial departments - and those of their sponsors - rubbing their hands in anticipation.

Button's defection to McLaren came as a surprise to Mercedes Grand Prix (previously Brawn), whose team principal Ross Brawn only recently dismissed speculation that his driver was about to leave.

They are said finally to have offered similar money to McLaren but Button's recent visits to the latter helped to swing his decision to leave, even though some believe that Hamilton will prove his nemesis.

As late as a week ago, Brawn said he would be "amazed" if Button agreed terms with McLaren.

But Button and his management were understood to be furious that, following the takeover, Brawn and team chief executive, Nick Fry - both of whom, as shareholders in the team, personally made millions from the deal - refused to raise their salary offer to Button of around R56-million a year.

Although that offer included the freedom to sign as many personal endorsements as he liked the difficult economic climate, combined with Button's belief that McLaren is likely to have a faster car in 2010, made him decide to take the risk.

The question of whether Button can live with Hamilton - hugely talented and ambitious on the track and with his long-standing working relationship with the McLaren support team - will remain unanswered until the 2010 season gets under way in March.

Many have expressed doubt - the bookmakers immediately made Hamilton a firm favourite to outscore his new team mate - but Button has been assured that no favouritism will be shown to Hamilton by the team.

That message has also got across to Hamilton, who made a pointed reference to "working with [Button] and our engineers to make sure we kick off the 2010 season with a car competitive enough to win the World championship".

"Although we'll be pushing each other hard, I'm sure we'll very quickly establish a great working relationship," Hamilton said. "He's an exceptional driver: very controlled and very smooth and with a real depth of knowledge and experience.

"I sincerely hope we can make the whole of the United Kingdom, as well as McLaren-Mercedes fans across the world, proud.

"Nothing means more to me than to be able to represent my country and I'm looking forward to both of us painting F1's circuits red, white and blue for many years to come."

'DIFFICULT DECISION

Button was equally effusive, describing Hamilton as "a wonderfully gifted driver who has earned the respect of every F1 driver".

"It's always a difficult decision to leave a team when you've been there for so long," added Button, who had been with Brawn in its previous incarnations as BAR and Honda for seven years.

"However, life is all about challenges and, most important of all, it's about challenging yourself.

"You can't help but be affected by this team's phenomenal history. McLaren is one of the greats of world sport and its achievements and list of champions read like a Who's Who of F1 - Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and, of course, my new team mate, Lewis Hamilton.

"I've followed the McLaren team since I was a small boy and it feels unbelievable finally to be a part of it."

TWO STARS HAVE BEEN PAINFUL

McLaren made clear that it chose Button, who will be 30 in January, because he fits the bill as a fast, experienced and talented driver who can help the team win the World Constructors' championship and not because he came cheap as negotiations with the newly Mercedes-badged Brawn team foundered.

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said the move was in keeping with McLaren's philosophy of employing the two best possible drivers and Button was chosen in preference to 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes protege Nick Heidfeld who drove for BMW Sauber in 2009.

Running two stars has historically proved painful for the team. The enmity between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1988 and '89 created one of the greatest sporting rivalries and resulted in Prost moving to Ferrari in 1990.

Alonso's partnership with Hamilton in 2007 arguably cost each of them their chance of the title that year and created so much acrimony that none of the parties likes to speak of it.

Nevertheless, Whitmarsh is adamant that the situation can be suitably managed. "I'm confident we'll successfully balance and harness Jenson's and Lewis's complementary skills," he said.

Within the team, however, there are concerns about how Button and his camp will fit in with Hamilton and his team, led by his father Anthony who likes to take a much more active role in operations than Button's father John ever has during his son's lengthy career.

ROSBERG ALREADY SIGNED

McLaren's engineers have also been impressed by the drivers' analysis of Button's qualifying and race data from 2009, which is more important to their racing psyche than any marketing impact the "Dream Team" will create.

Mercedes has already signed German Nico Rosberg, whose place at Williams was taken by Button's 2009 team mate Rubens Barrichello. But now, after prevaricating too long, finds itself faced with the likelihood of running Heidfeld alongside Rosberg.

Both are perceived as quick drivers but not quite from the top drawer. Neither has yet won a race, despite 239 race starts between them, and Mercedes may yet come to regret the global publicity opportunities it will lose after losing its champion.

Raikkonen, meanwhile, will take a year's sabbatical and try his hand at rallying for 2010 before seeing how things shake down in 2011. - The Independent, London