Button was a chancer in the wet, if he did the same as everybody else he would almost certainly stay behind everyone which is why he would always do the opposite, when it payed off he got the plaudits when it didn't nobody really gave it two thoughts.
Chancer? Haha. He can read a race track exceptionally well and feel where the grip is on wet, dry and drying tarmac. In 2010 at the Chinese Grand Prix, he wasn't the only driver to stay out on slicks whilst the rest of the field pitted for intermediates, Rosberg did as well, but it's testament to Button's skills in the wet or rain that he has the confidence to do that. Everyone else bottled it. Button won the race.
Same with Australia in 2010, proved he has a finesse and unmatched skill for treading and finding the quickest line of a wet race track after pitting and being the first onto slicks. He won the race.
Hungary 2011. Started as a wet race, you could physically see the drivers tip-toeing around the track being on the inters? when they should have been on full wets. I remember watching that race in a caravan on Holiday knowing Button would win it. Always feel confident that he's got that much more confidence in those conditions than any other driver. What sticks out in my mind is Hamilton spinning off, and looking like a complete rookie, almost collecting Di Resta as he performed half a donut to align himself with the race track again, didn't see Button do that, infact he was flawless for the entire race and again, he won the race.
There's plenty more times where Button has proved his mastery in the wet and made other drivers look like mere mortals.
Canada 2011 (and the greatest race of all time) Stunning move on Webber that was just after the wall of champions, on slicks, 150mph+ dipping all 4 wheels off the racing line well onto the wet track and performing an overtake in order for him to pressure Vettel, and pressure Vettel off the track. Again, won the race.
Plenty more times where he's demonstrated a peerless understanding and feeling for a race car in slicks on a wet surface. As he put it it was probably down to his old man being too tight/stubborn to buy him wet tyres for his Go-Kart when he was a kid.
An interesting insight into Jenson from his current race engineer...
“Jenson is like a swan,” says his McLaren-Honda race engineer Tom Stallard. “He’s very smooth with his hands, which is the bit you can see on television, but his feet work like mad on the pedals. He balances the car with his feet a lot more than other drivers, and he seems to do it effortlessly.
“A classic Jenson performance was his pole lap at Spa in 2012. His hands would have you believe that he was out for a Saturday afternoon drive, but his feet were working like crazy on the pedals, modulating brake and throttle inputs, and the result was pole position.”
