Alonso in - Button out

Martin de Miguel · 5 Sep 2001, 14:20 (Ref:141800)

According to different sources, (USA, Italy, Spain and France) Flavio Briatore is seriously thinking to replace Jenson Button with Fernando Alonso already next season, according to various of these sources everything would depend of finding a decent drive for Mr. Button outside of Bennetton. Paul Stoddart says in F1i that he cannot confirm Fernando as a Minardi driver for next season because Renault has to decide yet what's going to do with those two drivers.
Personally I hope the change happens because I rate Alonso even better than Kimi and with all the hype that has been built around the Finn what the Spaniard needs is a decent car. In regards to Jenson he was very unlucky this year because going against Fisichella in a team that was built around him was almost suicidal, Jordan could be a good option for next year even though Heidfield is not gonna be easy either.

JVA · 5 Sep 2001, 14:30 (Ref:141810)

If Alonso is leaving to Benetton, then Paul Stoddarat is thinking about H.H.Frentzen to replace him. But personnely I don't think that HHF will do that.

jiggly_puff · 5 Sep 2001, 14:37 (Ref:141818)

No way they can't get rid of Jenson!!!!!!!!!

JeremySmith · 5 Sep 2001, 14:47 (Ref:141831)

That would be bad news...One has to feel sorry for Jenson..The car as we know has just not been up to it until Spa..HHF won't go to Minardi for what? As much as I love Minardi...

Briatore has his fingers in too many pies, too much power if you ask me..

**bella** · 5 Sep 2001, 15:04 (Ref:141852)

of course it would be terrible for jenson, but flav has to take priorities here. if he thinks fernando could be a real racing god, then he's best putting fernando first and putting jenson in a really bad car so he can learn how to drive one. or telling him to test, and chucking him in a chat show.
fernando may have all the time in the world, what with being a wee whippersnapper of 20, but he admits he's learnt all he can from minardi. as a person, he's ready to deal with life in a big team(christ, if he can deal with minardi fan without running a mile, he's good for anything..).
i say put fernando first. he doesn't need to learn how to adjust to a bad car, he's that good a driver. he's smart where jenson isn't. i can't imagine mike gascoyne making a remark about being in a big boys racing series when fernando's in the team.

laxman · 5 Sep 2001, 15:29 (Ref:141871)

I think alonso would do well if you put him in any car.Sure he will need some time to settle down, but benetton is a team with much much more resources than the minardi and joining them will surely do him only good(especially after spa)

laxman

Minardi fan · 5 Sep 2001, 15:41 (Ref:141880)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Flabio definitely has his fingers in too many pies - just how many more contracts does he need beside Trulli, Fisi, Alonso and Webber???

BBKing · 5 Sep 2001, 15:42 (Ref:141882)

The sad thing is Fisichella and Trulli were on the same situation than Alonso at the beggining of their careers. It goes to prove that doing great in the first season with Minardi does not necesarily mean you are going to go far.

Button was hyped too much. It went to the point of making believe F1 was so easy that he moved to Monaco and enjoy life. No hard work no results. Head said that the only thing that would deny Button of a great career was the easy life. Was he right?

It is easy to overstimate Alonso and Kimi. For now they did nothing that would be considered outstanding. Even Barrichello was more impresive in his first season. Now see where is Barrichello? Youngest driver on pole, the new Senna blah blah..Now he is Schumacher's slave. Goes to show that one season is not enough to tell what they are up to.

Minardi fan · 5 Sep 2001, 15:48 (Ref:141888)

Quote:

Originally posted by BBKing

It is easy to overstimate Alonso and Kimi. For now they did nothing that would be considered outstanding.

Have you watched F1 this season???

laxman · 5 Sep 2001, 15:56 (Ref:141890)

well BBking,
I thinks thats more of a reason for him to move to another team and for other teams to try to get him.there is no point him in sticking with minardi.Its going to be good for him and as for the team, if he turns out good, they would have discovered a new champion.If not, well, who cars.kick him out and get another guy in.Isnt this what was done with button?

laxman

GanjaGrizz · 5 Sep 2001, 16:20 (Ref:141911)

Alonso to Benneton is great news. Button , well he hasnt impressed me in the slighest. Just another driver going through the motions. Benneton didnt help him out much this year and having Fishi outclass him in every race also didnt help.
I still remember a quote from Button thats makes me think he will never be a F1 champion. He said about Jerez97 "The only thing wrong with what Schumacher did to Jacques was that it didn't work"
After he said that I knew he didnt have what it takes to be in F1.
Frank Williams replaced him with Montoya , even after Button had a good year with Williams. So Frank seen the same thing I seen in Button. Frank thought that a Montoya who never drove a F1 car would be better then Button , I think that says it all...lol
I doubt anyone will hire Button next year. He will have the same career in F1 that Alex Wurz had. Maybe being a test driver will help him but I doubt it.

F.Alonso, K.Raikkonen, L.Burti have more driving talent then Button has, so he will have a hard time finding a drive.

Liz · 5 Sep 2001, 16:33 (Ref:141920)

I was wondering if this was going to happen when I saw that Mike Gasgoyne was quoted this weekend saying that Button "is paid big boy's money in a big boy's league" and has got to step up and earn his money. I think Button has ruined his career. I may be wrong and time will tell. But that's what it looks like to me.

He may be hird by Minardi or Prost, but I can't see any team any further up the grid taking a flyer on someone who has clearly lost the plot as Mr. Button.

And if Alonso can get the job done at Benetton, more power to him.

P.S. I agree about Kimi. His style (hold on and try not to break anything) suits the modern day F1 cars, but one swallow doesn't make a summer.

R · 5 Sep 2001, 16:41 (Ref:141923)

This would be very exciting, as Alonso is one of my favourite drivers. Particularly now, this looks like a good move as Benetton (Renault) looks to be on the way up. Looks like a bad move for Fisichella though.

BBKing · 5 Sep 2001, 17:15 (Ref:141943)

Quote:

Originally posted by Minardi fan

Have you watched F1 this season???

Tell me one thing they have done that could be considered outstanding.

Good?yes. Great? not Quite. Outstanding? nope

**Stephen Green** · 5 Sep 2001, 17:48 (Ref:141964)

I think we need to remember a couple of things here. Flavio may not be with Benetton (Renault Sport) for much longer, the hints have been dropped several times during the year I believe. You should also remember that Button is a Renault driver, that's who he drove the works F3 for and who wanted him at Benetton, not Flavio. You also forget that in his year at Williams he out qualified Ralf on several occasions, to me that's not the sign of a one year wonder.

I agree that he needs to keep his head down and get on with some serious work, but how many of you at 20 did that? I didn't. Give the guy a break, once again we are putting down one of the brightest talents to come out of the UK for years. Why do we British always turn on our sportsmen and women?

jiggly_puff · 5 Sep 2001, 18:20 (Ref:141987)

BURTI IS NOT MORE TALENTED THAN BUTTON!!!!!!! UHHHHHHHHHHHHH...................................

HOW CAN U SAY SUCH A THING! HE MAY HAVE BEAT HIM IN F3 - BUT HE WAS IN A SUPERIOR CAR THEN!

MichaelC · 5 Sep 2001, 18:27 (Ref:141994)

People people don't be alarmed.

Firstly as Stephen Green pointed out, Jenson's been a works Renault driver before, they know whether he's any good or not, and what to do with him

Secondly, if he does get replaced by Alonso, he can always follow Fisi to Jordan, where the second seat will be available as soon as Alesi notices he's no good any more and does the decent thing and retires. Which will be at the end of this season.

If that doesn't come off, he can always go to Jaguar, or even Sauber. He won't end up at Prost, and neither will he end up with Minardi-Proton.

GanjaGrizz · 5 Sep 2001, 18:38 (Ref:141998)

Quote:

Originally posted by jiggly_puff
BURTI IS NOT MORE TALENTED THAN BUTTON!!!!!!! UHHHHHHHHHHHHH................................... HOW CAN U SAY SUCH A THING! HE MAY HAVE BEAT HIM IN F3 - BUT HE WAS IN A SUPERIOR CAR THEN!

I call them the way i see them...lol

Sorry Jiggly but Button hasn't proved nothing to me so far, Alonso has and Raikkonen has also, as for Burti well I dont think hes better then Alonso or Raikkonen but he is better then Button...

Now if I would of said that Riccardo Rosset or Tarso Marques was better then Button , then you can get mad....

Unknown Soldier · 5 Sep 2001, 18:58 (Ref:142011)

Jenson Button is in F1 not because of his abilities. He's young, good looking and British. If he was from TimBuckTu, he would already be looking for another ride.

Here's a great quote from Carl Fogarty that says it all,

Quote:

I can't understand why he's there. He's never done anything. He's got all this publicity and is a superstar before even proving himself. I can only think it's because he's got a flashy name. If he was called Harold Shuttleworth he would never have been let near a car

GanjaGrizz · 5 Sep 2001, 19:12 (Ref:142019)

Good Looking???..gees if thats what a good looking Brit looks like then UK is one ugly Country...lol

**bella** · 5 Sep 2001, 20:39 (Ref:142060)

Quote:

Originally posted by BBKing

Tell me one thing they have done that could be considered outstanding.

Good?yes. Great? not Quite. Outstanding? nope

outstanding? watching fernando catch, and hassle eddie irvine at silverstone was pretty darn incredible. his lap at hungary wasn't bad either (18th).

JeremySmith · 5 Sep 2001, 20:52 (Ref:142067)

a question for all of you..

If Jenson Button was still driving the William's this year,would he have underperformed...Yes or No???

Regards....Jeremy

Unknown Soldier · 5 Sep 2001, 20:54 (Ref:142072)

From the Spanish G.P.

Alonso is the one in front......naturally.

**Stephen Green** · 5 Sep 2001, 21:38 (Ref:142098)

I doubt he would Jeremy because Sir Frank would have made it his business to keep the lad in check. He needs someone to calm him down, but as I said earlier, how many kids of 20 have the kind of money and adulation that Jenson has? I just think we should give the guy a break and allow him to get on with the job.

As for the person who mentioned his achievements.

He won the F Ford Festival in his first year of motor racing. Previous winners being the likes of Hakkinen, Coulthard, Irvine, Herbert etc.

When he drove for the Promotecme Team (works Renault) in F3, he beat his much fancied team mate (name escapes me) and ran very close to the Paul Stewart cars the whole season. No mean feat I can tell you. That's why Renault took him at Benetton, not old Flavio.

AndyF · 5 Sep 2001, 21:42 (Ref:142102)

Jenson's team-mate in 1999 Formula 3 was the Brazilian Aluizo Coelho, who, I think, raced in the Formula Renault Championship the season previously (perhaps he was champion). However, Coelho never really found his feet. I think he finished ninth in the standings. Button finished third, behind Marc Hynes and Luciano Burti.

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