Formula One has its own fairytale hero in the person of McLaren's Jenson Button. Most F1 fanatics believe that their hero drivers exude a fiery, steadfast and charismatic personality to rule the challenging world of F1 racing. The British driver's critics believe the opposite on Button's character as a world driver champion.
The young Button has silenced his critics with his outstanding performances even if it came late in his racing career. Still, the Briton has endured the challenges and criticisms of his professional career as a driver.
The McLaren driver has an exceptional karting record winning almost all race events he joined in his young age. The kid raced and won the British Formula Ford diadem. He was also victorious in the Ford Festival in his maiden season in 1998 and placed third in a local Formula 3 Series race. Button got his first taste of F1 under Alan Prost in 1999 as a test driver. In 2000, Frank Williams of Williams F1 gave Button the most coveted opportunity to race in Formula One.
The flashy Briton was hyped to bring greatness to Formula One with Williams in 2000 with his kind of personality on-and-off the race track. In his debut race at age 20, he could have scored his first-ever career point in F1 had his car's engine not failed. He was very impressive with his performances all season; however, Team Williams was committed to field their top-gun tandem of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher in the following F1 season.
Button moved to Benetton the following year to pair with Giancarlo Fisichella. It was not a good year for Jenson having a hard time on the wheels of a Benetton. Critics were at him again with overhyped personality of winning the race for his team. In short, he was just an underachieving F1 driver. He was again dropped by his Benetton team at the end of the season in favor of Spaniard Fernando Alonso at the end of the season on 2002.
BAR-Honda big boss David Richards gave Button a chance to join the team alongside veteran Jacques Villeneuve, who was displeased with the decision to drive with the flamboyant driver. Jenson was victorious in the intra-team race sans Villenueve who retired at the sidelines with BAR taking a great leap in performance in 2004. This the year that Button vindicated his place in Formula One as he single-handedly raced for the team and keeping it for a championship run for the season.
BAR was less competitive and unreliable in 2005 that made Button frustrated with the results. He stayed with Honda until its unexpected exit at the end of 2008. Button was lagging behind at the back of the field with his unreliable car. He was still in his competitive form but unable to convert this to championship points. This was the lowest point of his career but still hang on to race against the titans of F1.
Former Ferrari team manager Ross Brawn established Brawn GP in 2009. Button was given a new lease of life wherein the team's car promised a new dawning for Honda racing in F1. The British driver started the season with a blistering run winning six of the first seven races to establish him a formidable driver to reckon with. However, a mid-season poor showing challenge him on his first attempt for a world driver's title. Button made steady performances in the latter part of the 2009 season with superb driving to capture his first-ever world championship title.
In the current season of 2010, McLaren signed him with young former world champion Lewis Hamilton to form a formidable tandem in Formula One racing. Both are young and enigmatic in their relationship but committed to give McLaren Mercedes another title.
In the Turkish Grand Prix, Hamilton and Button finished the race in first and second place, respectively. Fans were treated to a heart-stopping and breathtaking wheel-to-wheel race between the teammates in many instances at Turkey GP. A show of grit and competition on both young Formula One drivers. But still, Button has proved his critics wrong with his outstanding performances in his career leaving all doubts in a blur.
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