Jenson Button has rated Fernando Alonso similar to Michael Schumacher in fights, as he expands on the Spaniard’s natural abilities behind a F1 car.
Having been teammates at McLaren between 2015 and 2016, Button certainly has had a closer look at the two-time F1 champion Alonso. Of course, he didn’t need to be a teammate to know how valuable the Spaniard is, he saw it plenty of times when racing against him before that.
Button rates Alonso and Schumacher
In fact, Button is one of the few, who can say that he has raced against several F1 world champions. Whether it is Schumacher or Mika Hakkinen or Kimi Raikkonen or Lewis Hamilton and even Max Verstappen, the 2009 world champion has seen it all in his career.
Amid host of comparisons that several make, Button has rated Alonso similar to that of Schumacher. He feels both race fair and anyone would enjoy racing against them. “The biggest compliment I can give Fernando is that fighting him was very similar to fighting with Michael Schumacher,” wrote the Brit in his journal with Aston Martin.
“In my experience against them it would be hard but fair – it was on the limit every time and I loved that. That was part of the challenge. When I won my first Grand Prix in Hungary, I was fighting against them and that’s what you want as a driver. You want to be fighting against the best, against the greats, to see how you compare.
“In my career I got to race against the likes of Fernando and Michael, as well as Mika Häkkinen, Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. I’ve been really lucky to have raced against some of the true legends of the sport,” summed up Button, who has re-united with Alonso at Aston Martin, being the team ambassador.
Praise for Alonso’s driving style
The Brit has huge praise for Alonso’s driving style. He says it is noticeable straight up. His adaption level is tremendous. “What makes Fernando stand out is his driving style,” continued Button. “If you painted all the cars the same colour and put every driver out on the track, you would struggle to notice the difference. But when Fernando drives past, you immediately know it’s him.
“That’s down to what he’s doing behind the wheel. Fernando drives like no one else. He’s aggressive, he can adapt brilliantly, and it’s been that way all through his career,” summed up Button, who shared an anecdote from early 200s, when they were at Renault albeit Alonso starting as a test driver.
Button shares story from Renault days
He recalls how Alonso was able to drive the car which required aggressive approach. Even as the test driver, the Spaniard did something which the regular driver couldn’t. As such, he went on to win his only two F1 world championships with the team in 2005 and 2006.
“I remember in the early 2000s when we were both at Renault the car required a really aggressive approach to steering, otherwise you would have too much load on the front and have oversteer,” said Button. “He found a way of driving it. It didn’t look pretty, but he made it work.
“He’s always been able to do that with any car he drives; it’s hugely impressive. I couldn’t do that. If you give me a car set up how I like it, I don’t think anyone can drive it quicker. But Fernando can adapt to whatever he’s given. It’s a special talent,” summed up Button.
Not best of friends but respect there
Even though they never were friends in direct terms, Button always had respect for Alonso. They got along well as teammates. In saying so, the Brit shared another story of how his wife had to introduce herself to the Spaniard when they met recently, since the 2009 champion never introduced her to him.
“We were also team-mates at McLaren and we got on well but actually we didn’t spend a lot of time together,” continued Button. “People assume that drivers, especially team-mates, are always together – perhaps because of how things seem now in the sport – but that isn’t necessarily the case.
“In fact, my wife met Fernando in Monaco earlier this year and had to introduce herself because I never did when she was my girlfriend back in 2016! Your team-mate is one of the first people you’d think you’d introduce someone to inside the paddock, but racing in F1 was different back then.
“There was a lot of respect between us, but it wasn’t as though we were best mates going racing. Even so, I really enjoyed the time we did spend together,” summed up Button. The Brit hopes that Alonso races for few more years in F1 with Aston Martin, as the Spaniard contemplates his future move.
