Jenson Button , who went so far as to say that Fernando Alonso of four years ago he would not want in his team, has acknowledged that he had fun when he met him in 2015 and 2016 at McLaren. The Briton took advantage of the occasion to praise the virtues of the current Alpine rider.
“ You always have a driver by your side that you can measure yourself against. You know you compare yourself to the best , ”Jenson Button said at Speedweek . “And he’s not only a fast driver, he’s also very smart. Always find a solution to avoid a problem . And I had a lot of fun with him as a teammate, ”added the former Formula 1 world champion in 2018.
Previously, Jenson Button was confident that Fernando Alonso would return as a better driver after leaving the Gran Circo. “Raikkonen also moved away from Formula 1 and spent a few years away, and he realized how good Formula 1 is. That is why they return and that is why Fernando Alonso returns. It helped Kimi and I think Fernando will come back as a better rider, “he said a year ago.
“You wouldn’t want him on your team”
“I don’t know if he will come back with more racing skills, or in terms of the way he works with the team, but I think it will be very different. It will be interesting to watch, because Fernando from three or four years ago, you wouldn’t want him on your team . But now I believe that he will be a much more team man and that he understands what is necessary to succeed ”, he added, alluding to Fernando Alonso’s reputation as a bad teammate.
However, on that occasion he also praised him: “It has been exceptional. He won two world titles and was very close a couple more times . Not many people get that. My toughest partner . I really enjoyed it. “
Button and the humility of Fernando Alonso
Months later, Jenson Button spoke again of Fernando Alonso and his humility: “He is a true personality and I think he has probably learned to be a little more humble in recent years . I think you will see a really strong and educated Alonso. He’s very good for the sport, very good for him and he seems to be working really hard on his fitness, which is fantastic. He will have to be, since he is no longer a youngster! ”.
Alonso laughs at his fame
Questioned about his reputation as a bad partner, Fernando Alonso said last April: “ I laugh at that . This is the third time that I have driven for Renault. At McLaren I had two stages. I have been in different teams and I have repeated . Apparently they have always been happy with me because if not, you will not call me again . With Fisichella I keep talking. From Trulli, who lives in Lugano, I received a call when I had the accident offering any kind of help. The same with Stoffel, Jenson, with Esteban ”.
“ It’s something I laugh at because all my teammates have always been good people and good friends , not only when sharing a team, but also in the rest of my career. On many occasions, this reputation comes in handy , because when my colleagues later discover that I am normal, they are happily surprised ”, he concluded.
