Happy Birthday, Jenson Button: A Look Back at Five of His F1 Achievements

5) German Grand Prix 2000

Talent does not wait for the number of years, in Formula 1 like in any sport. Jenson Button, catapulted to start at Williams-BMW in 2000 when he was only 20 years old, will demonstrate it through a few brilliant moves. The rookie, whose slightest misstep is expected by the supporters of a linear progression, proves that it is not necessary to go through the Formula 3000 to rub shoulders with the big guys. At the time, he became the youngest driver to score points in the second round in Sao Paulo (Brazil) with sixth place.

But his predispositions regarding perilous track conditions were expressed at Hockenheim (Germany) a few months later. On the old, ultra-fast track (6,8 km swallowed up at an average speed of almost 250 km/h), the Englishman only achieved the 16th fastest time in practice. Not great. The next day, the future world champion got his pedals tangled and stalled on the starting grid. He had to start from last place and therefore had nothing left to lose. The Englishman remained discreet during the first laps, then took advantage of the slipstream in the forest to come back.

In a daring strategic move, Jenson Button opted for wet tires on the 33rd lap, just as a light downpour arrived on certain portions of the circuit. It's the jackpot. Fifth, he passed three laps from the Mika Salo (Sauber) goal as the rain became more intense. “It was very difficult to drive under these circumstances, he will explain. The second sector was completely dry while it rained in the stands and the Stadium! » 

4) Pole position ahead of the Ferraris at Imola in 2004

Ignoring the cliché of a British driver only good in the rain, Jenson Button also appreciates the sun. A fan of clean, smooth driving on wet roads, the playboy also knows how to cut to the chase when necessary. In the home of the tifosi in Imola (Italy), "JB's" BAR-Honda is very much alone. Since the start of the 2004 campaign, he has been the only one who can titillate the exuberant Ferrari de Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

After a first podium in Malaysia, Jenson Button revs up the Japanese V10 block. At that time, the qualifying system was very different from the Q1-Q2-Q3 format. The drivers started in the reverse order of the pre-qualifying tests and only had one lap to set their time! So it was necessary to aim right the first time.

On the Enzo e Dino Ferrari track, the future 2009 world champion sets a perfect lap. Two tenths ahead after the intermediate sector, Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) is caught out at the Variante Alta. Listen to the engine V10 atmo reaching 19 rpm and admire the escalation of the vibrators!

#OnThisDay in 2004

The first of eight career pole positions for @JensonButton #F1 pic.twitter.com/oDYGhH1BeA

- Formula 1 (@ F1) 24 April 2018

"Jenson drove phenomenally, rejoices his boss, David Richards. If you look at his last sector, that’s where he made the difference. This morning, he told me that he was keeping some under control in this portion. I think he gave it his all this time! »

3: 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix

If Jenson Button's 15 Formula 1 victories were to be nicknamed, the one acquired (it goes without saying) in mixed conditions at the Hungaroing (Hungary) would be "the Arlesienne". Brilliant in 2004, disappointing in 2005 and entangled in a legal affair concerning a transfer (ultimately cancelled) to Williams, Jenson Button is starting to get impatient. The 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix is ​​his 113th start, and he has never obtained the precious winner's trophy. This drought could turn into an endless series, especially since he only set the 14th fastest time in qualifying.

This event is proof that a little uncertainty and rain can make any circuit interesting. Nicknamed "the Hungarian turnstile", the winding track is the scene of an exciting race. Among the striking images is the overtaking on the outside of Fernando Alonso (Renault) on Michael Schumacher during the first stint. From the third lap, Jenson Button enters the points in eighth position. He immediately overtakes Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault), Felipe Massa (Ferrari) and Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) in less than two laps! The Somerset native strings together the best laps, without making the slightest mistake. After four laps, here he is fourth.

Back in Fernando Alonso's exhausts thanks to a Safety Car, the Honda with V8 engine is transformed. It goes through the pits to fill up with petrol but keeps its rubber for the wet road, while the Renault opts for slick tyres. A badly fixed nut causes the Spaniard to retire, the way is clear for Jenson Button! "We fought a tough battle and we won it, not only through pure speed but with good strategy", said the man who thus offered Honda its first success as a manufacturer since… 1967.

Hungary 2006, Button's first success in F1 after a "masterclass" in the rain © THIERRY BOVY / DPPI

2: 2010 Australian Grand Prix

Unfairly forgotten by many observers, Jenson Button's drive in Albert Park in Melbourne (Australia) in March 2010 is worth its weight in porridge. The number 1 wearer demonstrated remarkable quickness of mind by asking his track engineer to come to the pit box McLaren at the end of the sixth lap. Nobody thought about it, but a drying trajectory begins to appear. Coming out of the pits in the depths of the classification, the bet seems to have gone badly. The McLaren goes wide, almost gets stuck in the gravel and sets off again after losing a good fifteen seconds.

However, Jenson Button found his marks once his tires were warmed up. The leading group, informed of the Englishman's astonishing pace, swapped their tires three laps later. It was not too late, because the Red Bull continue their march in front. However, Jenson Button is much more comfortable. He takes the lead on lap 27, when the car de Sebastian Vettel broke his front wheel nut. A rank that he would not let go of until the checkered flag, at the end of an XXL 50-lap stint on soft tires!

“The team can see the weather on their screens, but the drivers can feel the conditions, he clarified. I didn't have a good feeling with the intermediate tyres, I was struggling. I was losing ground so I decided to go to the pits. When I left, I thought I had made a catastrophic decision. But as I got into the rhythm, I was more and more comfortable. I am very happy to have taken this gamble.

His tire maintenance was exceptional: "I never thought about putting on a second set of slicks, even though my pace wasn't great after a few laps. I felt the rear tyres starting to degrade, so I slowed down but stayed consistent."

1: 2011 Canadian Grand Prix

The masterpiece! How can we ignore the longest Grand Prix in the history of the discipline (4h04), full of crazy twists and turns and a change of leader on the last lap? One statistic is enough to give an idea of ​​the feat accomplished by Jenson Button: six, the number of times he went through the pits! Penalized for excessive speed behind the Safety Car, he was also involved in two collisions with Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Fernando Alonso).

After the red flag interruption, Jenson Button was even pushed back to 21st and last place! But it took more than that to discourage him. The temperature of the tarmac rose, the drying line appeared and allowed Jenson Button to find a second wind, to the point of forcing Sebastian Vettel into making a mistake:

"Even if I hadn't won, this race would still have been fantastic for me. This race, which was incredible, is perhaps my best victory.", he admitted at the time. We share his opinion!

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