Club de Fans: Jenson Button
Club de Fans: Jenson Button
FIA Thursday press conference - Japan
[Drivers - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India), Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso), Will Stevens (Marussia), Valtteri Bottas (Williams), Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), Jenson Button (McLaren)
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Jenson, you've been the centre of a lot of media speculation over the last week. Can you tell us what your plans are?
Jenson Button: What, today? Or after this??
Q: It would be nice to have an insight into your plans for the future...
JB: OK. Well... I can't give you anything else. Since the last race there's no more information to give you. You're going to have to wait for a little while I'm sorry to say but we're in good talks, the team and myself so, that's it. We're here to concentrate on this weekend. It's a big weekend for us. McLaren-Honda in front of Honda's home crowd at their circuit? we hope that we can have a good weekend. Obviously the weather mixes it up a little bit which I think is what we need to be properly competitive so yeah, we're focussing on this weekend and hoping for a reasonable result.
Q: Japan's always been a special place for you. Just tell us, over your time here, you've never finished outside of the top ten I believe, you won here back in 2011 when Sebastian was winning his championship ? but why is it so special to you?
JB: I think it's, as Sebastian touched on earlier, I think it's a very special circuit for most drivers. It is the best circuit in the world as Sebastian said ? not that he's driven every circuit in the world ? but it's got a nice flow. I was asked the other day which is the best corner here. It's difficult: you can't pick just one corner, it's just the circuit itself. It's such a fantastic layout. From Turn Two all the way up the Esses, through Dunlop it's breath-taking. A very special circuit to drive on and even better to win on. I've been coming here since '94 when I raced in karts at the kart circuit just across the road. I remember walking the circuit then just thinking, yeah, it was built for a Formula One car. This was the circuit for a Formula One car ? and it is. It's also very special because a lot of connections to Japan working with Honda for so many years. Obviously my wife is Japanese and yeah, I'm a big fan of the culture as well.
Fuente: Formula1.com
[Drivers - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India), Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso), Will Stevens (Marussia), Valtteri Bottas (Williams), Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), Jenson Button (McLaren)
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Jenson, you've been the centre of a lot of media speculation over the last week. Can you tell us what your plans are?
Jenson Button: What, today? Or after this??
Q: It would be nice to have an insight into your plans for the future...
JB: OK. Well... I can't give you anything else. Since the last race there's no more information to give you. You're going to have to wait for a little while I'm sorry to say but we're in good talks, the team and myself so, that's it. We're here to concentrate on this weekend. It's a big weekend for us. McLaren-Honda in front of Honda's home crowd at their circuit? we hope that we can have a good weekend. Obviously the weather mixes it up a little bit which I think is what we need to be properly competitive so yeah, we're focussing on this weekend and hoping for a reasonable result.
Q: Japan's always been a special place for you. Just tell us, over your time here, you've never finished outside of the top ten I believe, you won here back in 2011 when Sebastian was winning his championship ? but why is it so special to you?
JB: I think it's, as Sebastian touched on earlier, I think it's a very special circuit for most drivers. It is the best circuit in the world as Sebastian said ? not that he's driven every circuit in the world ? but it's got a nice flow. I was asked the other day which is the best corner here. It's difficult: you can't pick just one corner, it's just the circuit itself. It's such a fantastic layout. From Turn Two all the way up the Esses, through Dunlop it's breath-taking. A very special circuit to drive on and even better to win on. I've been coming here since '94 when I raced in karts at the kart circuit just across the road. I remember walking the circuit then just thinking, yeah, it was built for a Formula One car. This was the circuit for a Formula One car ? and it is. It's also very special because a lot of connections to Japan working with Honda for so many years. Obviously my wife is Japanese and yeah, I'm a big fan of the culture as well.
Fuente: Formula1.com
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Dan Knutson - Auto Action / Speed Sport) Sorry Jenson, you said ?we'll have to wait a little bit.? How much is a little? You also said you're in talks with the team. That would seen to suggest you'll be around next year as well?
JB: There's so many possibilities of what could happen next year. So many possibilities but I've got nothing else for you I'm sorry to say.
Q: (Ian Parkes - Autosport) Sorry Jenson I'm going to try and push you a little bit more. You did speak on Sunday about the fact you no longer had any joy in Formula One: the joy of winning, the joy of being on a podium. Is that a kind of indicator as to your mindset, bearing in mind that joy is probably unlikely to return next season if you were to stay with Honda, given the difficulties they're still likely to face?
JB: Yeah, I think it was worded slightly differently than that - but I don't think any driver has joy when they're not fighting for victories. That's what we're here to do, y'know, that's what we love. It's the challenge of fighting at the front and the possibility of fighting at the front. So, no. I don't like finishing 14th. I don't like finishing tenth. That's not what gives me joy, that's not what excites me - but there are so many other things that, if they work in your favour, or if you see a future, there's the possibility of joy coming back and that's exciting. That's a challenge. But no, after the Singapore Grand Prix I wasn't joyful. No.
Q (Trent Price - Rewind Media) Sorry Jenson, we'll get this out of the way now. Despite a particularly difficult 2015 you've had some extremely good years with Honda. 2004, latter half of 2006 respectively. Being here at your second home, how would you like to reflect on your time at Honda?
JB: We've definitely had some ups and downs in the past. 2004 was a great year. I got my first podium that year. I think we got ten podiums that season and finished third in the championship. We were second in the Constructors' so pretty special year. 2006 was when the team actually became Honda and I won my first grand prix with Honda, and still the only grand prix for Honda in this era. So, a special day. The president of Honda was there. He came to two races that year and he was stood on the podium with me, so a great experience and a great memory. But we never achieved what we set out to do, which was fight for the World Championship. We had some good times, we have a lot of fun - but we never quite achieved that. So, I think this time is an important time for Honda. They will give everything, I think, to win the World Championship, a matter of time. I know they're working flat out. I don't think anybody can put a time on how long it will take but I know they're giving everything to do that so hopefully one day we'll see the president of Honda stood on the podium again.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Jenson, you were talking about the enjoyment of racing. Behind you is Nico who won at Le Mans this year. Is it an option to do the same as him, to do Formula One and some special races in other categories next year?
JB: I've never thought about doing both. I think with a 22-race F1 calendar you're going to be very limited on weekends and sometimes it's nice to have a weekend off from motor racing so I can't see that happening. Maybe Nico's going to be doing the same thing again next year but I think for every other driver it's going to be a super busy calendar if that is the case, that we have that many races. I don't think it will really work - for me, it wouldn't really work anyway.
Fuente: Formula1.com
Q: (Dan Knutson - Auto Action / Speed Sport) Sorry Jenson, you said ?we'll have to wait a little bit.? How much is a little? You also said you're in talks with the team. That would seen to suggest you'll be around next year as well?
JB: There's so many possibilities of what could happen next year. So many possibilities but I've got nothing else for you I'm sorry to say.
Q: (Ian Parkes - Autosport) Sorry Jenson I'm going to try and push you a little bit more. You did speak on Sunday about the fact you no longer had any joy in Formula One: the joy of winning, the joy of being on a podium. Is that a kind of indicator as to your mindset, bearing in mind that joy is probably unlikely to return next season if you were to stay with Honda, given the difficulties they're still likely to face?
JB: Yeah, I think it was worded slightly differently than that - but I don't think any driver has joy when they're not fighting for victories. That's what we're here to do, y'know, that's what we love. It's the challenge of fighting at the front and the possibility of fighting at the front. So, no. I don't like finishing 14th. I don't like finishing tenth. That's not what gives me joy, that's not what excites me - but there are so many other things that, if they work in your favour, or if you see a future, there's the possibility of joy coming back and that's exciting. That's a challenge. But no, after the Singapore Grand Prix I wasn't joyful. No.
Q (Trent Price - Rewind Media) Sorry Jenson, we'll get this out of the way now. Despite a particularly difficult 2015 you've had some extremely good years with Honda. 2004, latter half of 2006 respectively. Being here at your second home, how would you like to reflect on your time at Honda?
JB: We've definitely had some ups and downs in the past. 2004 was a great year. I got my first podium that year. I think we got ten podiums that season and finished third in the championship. We were second in the Constructors' so pretty special year. 2006 was when the team actually became Honda and I won my first grand prix with Honda, and still the only grand prix for Honda in this era. So, a special day. The president of Honda was there. He came to two races that year and he was stood on the podium with me, so a great experience and a great memory. But we never achieved what we set out to do, which was fight for the World Championship. We had some good times, we have a lot of fun - but we never quite achieved that. So, I think this time is an important time for Honda. They will give everything, I think, to win the World Championship, a matter of time. I know they're working flat out. I don't think anybody can put a time on how long it will take but I know they're giving everything to do that so hopefully one day we'll see the president of Honda stood on the podium again.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Jenson, you were talking about the enjoyment of racing. Behind you is Nico who won at Le Mans this year. Is it an option to do the same as him, to do Formula One and some special races in other categories next year?
JB: I've never thought about doing both. I think with a 22-race F1 calendar you're going to be very limited on weekends and sometimes it's nice to have a weekend off from motor racing so I can't see that happening. Maybe Nico's going to be doing the same thing again next year but I think for every other driver it's going to be a super busy calendar if that is the case, that we have that many races. I don't think it will really work - for me, it wouldn't really work anyway.
Fuente: Formula1.com
Q: (Luigi Perna - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Seb, looking at this circuit and the next ones, what are the opportunities for Ferrari in your opinion? And second question: are you used to singing Italian songs or was after qualifying your first time?
SV: It was not my first time. I think my first time was probably after Malaysia. Yeah, I'm not a good singer so maybe I stop that now, since everyone has heard it.
JB: I don't think any of us are!
SV: Well, maybe Lewis is, I don't know. It was obviously out of the moment, it was a special day on Saturday and Sunday so I was singing both days but I think it was more equally bad both days.
To come back to your first question, I don't know, it's difficult to say. Looking at the results so far this year, we had a great car on every track, every nature of circuit: street circuits like Monaco, Singapore we've been competitive but on other tracks as well like I just mentioned: Malaysia. Probably Silverstone was one of the weekends where we lost a little bit of that but then again you look at so many races in the same year and you know we weren't completely off the pace so I think we can be reasonably confident but of course we have to remain realistic. I think we've learned along the way so hopefully that means that we will be a bit stronger again but the favourites I think still have to remain Mercedes with their two cars.
Q: (Dieter Rencken - Racing Lines) Jenson, you said that you've been having constructive talks with your team and also that there are lots of options for next year. This would indicate that you haven't quite made up your mind about 2016. Is your future really in your own hands or are there certain contractual obligations?
JB: I can't go any further with my comments on that. But I'll be happy next year. That's the important thing.
Q: (Ian Parkes - Autosport) Seb, drivers come and go in this sport, some quicker than others as we know, in Formula One it's the nature of the business but what would it mean if - and still a big if - Jenson did decide to call it a day at the end of this season?
SV: First of all, I think...
JB: Try to be nice.
SV: ...we don't know if that's the case. I think you've tried to ask him but I think he has his reasons - whatsoever - not to go further. It would be a loss, for sure. I remember when I was a little kid and he was considered very very young, joining Formula One. I have to give you that he looked very young when he started with Williams. Nowadays though, you have guys who are 17 who are starting already, so in that case he was already old when he started, or I was quite old. Certainly, he's a big character. We know that he's quick, he deserves to be a champion and I'm sure that if there were more years when he had the package to win the big one, he would have had a big say in that. The quality is out of doubt. On top of that he's a very fair guy on the track. Outside the track, I think we all like him for many reasons so it would be a big loss.
JB: Thank you mate. I'll start crying in a minute, it's so emotional!
Fuente: Formula1.com
SV: It was not my first time. I think my first time was probably after Malaysia. Yeah, I'm not a good singer so maybe I stop that now, since everyone has heard it.
JB: I don't think any of us are!
SV: Well, maybe Lewis is, I don't know. It was obviously out of the moment, it was a special day on Saturday and Sunday so I was singing both days but I think it was more equally bad both days.
To come back to your first question, I don't know, it's difficult to say. Looking at the results so far this year, we had a great car on every track, every nature of circuit: street circuits like Monaco, Singapore we've been competitive but on other tracks as well like I just mentioned: Malaysia. Probably Silverstone was one of the weekends where we lost a little bit of that but then again you look at so many races in the same year and you know we weren't completely off the pace so I think we can be reasonably confident but of course we have to remain realistic. I think we've learned along the way so hopefully that means that we will be a bit stronger again but the favourites I think still have to remain Mercedes with their two cars.
Q: (Dieter Rencken - Racing Lines) Jenson, you said that you've been having constructive talks with your team and also that there are lots of options for next year. This would indicate that you haven't quite made up your mind about 2016. Is your future really in your own hands or are there certain contractual obligations?
JB: I can't go any further with my comments on that. But I'll be happy next year. That's the important thing.
Q: (Ian Parkes - Autosport) Seb, drivers come and go in this sport, some quicker than others as we know, in Formula One it's the nature of the business but what would it mean if - and still a big if - Jenson did decide to call it a day at the end of this season?
SV: First of all, I think...
JB: Try to be nice.
SV: ...we don't know if that's the case. I think you've tried to ask him but I think he has his reasons - whatsoever - not to go further. It would be a loss, for sure. I remember when I was a little kid and he was considered very very young, joining Formula One. I have to give you that he looked very young when he started with Williams. Nowadays though, you have guys who are 17 who are starting already, so in that case he was already old when he started, or I was quite old. Certainly, he's a big character. We know that he's quick, he deserves to be a champion and I'm sure that if there were more years when he had the package to win the big one, he would have had a big say in that. The quality is out of doubt. On top of that he's a very fair guy on the track. Outside the track, I think we all like him for many reasons so it would be a big loss.
JB: Thank you mate. I'll start crying in a minute, it's so emotional!
Fuente: Formula1.com
¡Gracias por los aportes, @SirLuca! 
Muy interesantes las declaraciones de Jenson Button en la Conferencia de Prensa.
Hacía tiempo que el británico no acudía a estas ruedas de prensa... Y como has puesto el vídeo, me lo veré entero que no dura mucho. 
Ah, y muy chulas las fotos de Jenson Button junto a Sebastian Vettel.
¡Saludos!
Muy interesantes las declaraciones de Jenson Button en la Conferencia de Prensa.
Hacía tiempo que el británico no acudía a estas ruedas de prensa... Y como has puesto el vídeo, me lo veré entero que no dura mucho. Ah, y muy chulas las fotos de Jenson Button junto a Sebastian Vettel.
¡Saludos!
Jenson Button - GP de Japón 2015 (Libres 1 y 2)
Jenson Button (12º y 12º):
"Hemos rodado de forma muy limitada, principalmente nos hemos centrado solo en comprobar sistemas y en asegurarnos de que la aerodinámica funcionaba bien en mojado. Por la tarde, también realizamos algo de trabajo con el motor. El equilibrio necesita algo de trabajo, pero creo que va a estar seco durante el resto del fin de semana. Me quedé contento al ver a muchos coches rodar en la pista, ya que había muchos aficionados sentados en las gradas bajo la lluvia, por lo que al menos pudieron ver algo de espectáculo".
Fuente: F1aldía.com
Jenson Button (12º y 12º):
"Hemos rodado de forma muy limitada, principalmente nos hemos centrado solo en comprobar sistemas y en asegurarnos de que la aerodinámica funcionaba bien en mojado. Por la tarde, también realizamos algo de trabajo con el motor. El equilibrio necesita algo de trabajo, pero creo que va a estar seco durante el resto del fin de semana. Me quedé contento al ver a muchos coches rodar en la pista, ya que había muchos aficionados sentados en las gradas bajo la lluvia, por lo que al menos pudieron ver algo de espectáculo".
Fuente: F1aldía.com
