As the most experienced man in the field, the question of when 2009 World Champion Jenson Button will retire keeps getting brought up. So far, this season, his 15th in the sport has not gone to plan, with just one podium to his name, and has at times been outshone by his rookie team mate, Kevin Magnussen. With Honda returning to McLaren for the first time since Ayrton Senna drove for the team and for the first time in F1 since Button drove for them in 2008, I am certain that the Brit would love to be reunited with the people who he scored his very first Grand Prix victory with, eight years ago.
Button has not won a Grand Prix since the dramatic 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, and has not actually stood on the podium since that race either. Although he has said that he would like to make it to 300 races, McLaren could well axe their World Champion star driver as he has hardly beaten the 21-year-old Magnussen by the margin that many would expect for a World Champion. His home Grand Prix this weekend at Silverstone could well be his last in F1.
The Stoffel Vandoorne Factor
After the shock announcement that Lewis Hamilton was to replace Michael Schumacher at Mercedes for 2013, McLaren hired Sergio Perez as a replacement, which baffled some as many were expecting the incredibly highly rated Nico Hulkenberg to get the seat. 2013 was a disaster for both McLaren and Perez as the car was well off the pace, and although Perez’ qualifying wasn’t too bad, he made too much in the way of needless contact, usually with his team mate. He was axed after just one year, which also baffled many, and was replaced with the rookie, Kevin Magnussen. This shows that McLaren are not afraid to axe a driver if there is a very quick one waiting in the wings. Magnussen’s rival in World Series by Renault last year was the Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne. Vandoorne won Rookie of the Year honours but Magnussen took the title. Vandoorne went to GP2 for this year and won in his very first race, but has had some bad luck and some general off days. Should he win the title, McLaren could well axe Button for the talented Belgian.
What other options in F1 for Jenson?
So far, no team has confirmed any drivers for next year but several are contracted. Ferrari, Force India, Williams, Red Bull and Mercedes all have their current drivers contracted for 2015. So that leaves Button if he leaves McLaren with the choice of Lotus or Sauber realistically. He did drive for Lotus when it was known as Renault before, and his status as a World Champion could bring some decent sponsorship deals, so there is an option there should Grosjean go elsewhere or Maldonado face the axe after his woeful start to the season. Sauber has several capable drivers who are already affiliated with them, including Giedo van der Garde and Simona de Silvestro. Sergey Sirotkin is also after a seat with the Swiss team.
What options outside of F1 for Jenson?
The sensible route for Button should he leave F1 would probably be to go down the Mark Webber route and join the World Endurance Championship, especially with Nissan entering the top class next year. There are plenty of options available for him there, and I am sure former team mate Anthony Davidson will put in a good word to not just his own team, Toyota, but other teams too. Other places where Button could succeed would be in DTM or IndyCar, where other former F1 stars have been successful recently, or to become a triathlete full-time.
Button has achieved plenty in his stint in F1, with 15 victories to his name, and so far the only team mate to outscore compatriot Lewis Hamilton over a season, but at 34, he isn’t getting any younger. And likewise with Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, who started in F1 a year after Button, the inevitable must occur at some point within the next few years. It is just a case of whether he chooses to retire, or if he is forced to retire due to poor performances.
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