Jenson Button, from playboy to champion

Jenson Button, on his right ankle, has a tattoo indicative of his current state of mind. The pilot McLaren displays at this location a Japanese ideogram meaning Ichi ban, or “No. 1”. Created before his accession to the world throne in 2009, this tattoo allows the World Champion to keep in mind that he must do everything to be the best possible in his sport. In this season where he joined McLaren to retain his title, this ideogram is not without meaning for a driver who has not always been impeccable.

« Everyone has had tough times in their career and I have had my share “, he commented for Daily Mirror Sport. “ For me, it was 2001. It was my fault and that of the people around me. I didn't realize to what extent the F1 was competitive. I thought I just had to drive in the middle of it, without needing to work. »

After those difficult years when he thought more about partying, girls and the benefits of life as an F1 driver, Jenson Button says he had to change to become a competitive driver. “ Now I know that you have to spend a lot of time with the engineers. I know you have to spend time on the car so that it can suit you. You also need to spend time maintaining yourself physically. »

Arriving young in the premier single-seater category, Jenson Button, the “playboy”, was the darling of the English public. A status which did not help him to concentrate on his driving. “ When I arrived in F1, there were so many areas that I didn't master. I was just very happy to race against my heroes, the drivers I watched when I was younger. I didn't arrive with my eyes wide open. I had blinders on. You learn very quickly in this sport. It?s not really the ideal place to learn but I did it. I had to do it. That's when I realized there was more to it than driving the car. »

« I really enjoyed my first season but the problem was that the car was good and I didn't have to work on the settings with the engineers. It was a mistake. Are you learning from this? Now I'm the opposite. I do everything I need to, and maybe even a little more. I can't imagine anyone working harder than me but hats off to them if they do. »

Now the Briton wants to win a new title. It is for this reason that he wanted to join McLaren, even if the challenge seemed daunting at the start of the season. Now leader of the World Championship, he could become the first Briton to retain his title from one season to the next. He would thus surpass Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell, Lewis Hamilton?

« We would all like or wish we were the first to do it, says Button. This shows how difficult it is since no one has ever done it. If it doesn't happen, I will be disappointed. Like everyone, I want to win. That would be a nice statistic to have. But I'm here for more than a year and the most important thing is to fight for the championship. If I don't win this year, it might be next year or the one after that. This is the goal to achieve. What is most important for me is to win a title with this team. The date is not important. »