Button returning to F1?

leaskovski · 12 Apr 2017 at 21:39

smr said:
How's it a terrible idea for the team when the cars probably going to finish 15th anyway. It's a great idea by the team allowing Alonso the chance to achieve the triple crown. Good on them.

Instead of chucking effort into having another honda failure in something other than F1 and Alonso tweaking his way out of Indy, maybe they should put all their eggs in one basket??? The basket that is the chugging round the track this weekend. No?

The_Abyss · 12 Apr 2017 at 23:05

I think it is in McLaren's interests to keep Alonso occupied elsewhere, especially somewhere where he has a hope of being competitive. The Honda engine might have reliability by Monaco but it just won't have the power. I still think we may see Alonso fail to complete the season in the McLaren, either due to 'injury' or some other reason.

I have mixed views on the replacement potentially being Jenson. I'd love to see him back, but the last two years were spent in an awful car. This race won't be any different. Plus, I'm really not sure if he's physically up to the challenge. There are no high G fast corners at Monaco but these cars are clearly still very demanding. Jenson is as fit as they come thanks to his triathlons, and then some again, but he will have lost a good deal of strength especially in his neck. Look at Wehrlein's woes so far this season thanks to missing out on pre-season training due to injury.

MissChief · 12 Apr 2017 at 23:42

Did you see Jenson's twitter post? 'Why do I have so many missed calls?'

The_Abyss · 13 Apr 2017 at 00:00

Haha, yes, he's still a good sport and not without a sense of humour!

FrankJH · 13 Apr 2017 at 09:04

MissChief said:
Did you see Jenson's twitter post? 'Why do I have so many missed calls?'

Fantastic

Guerrilla · 13 Apr 2017 at 10:20

I like Button but actually hope he doesn't take the drive, whether he does well or not there's nothing to prove or gain... Is much rather see someone really try to make the most of the opportunity, despite it being a tough challenge I'm sure there'll still be a very long list of drivers wanting it!

GravyMonster · 13 Apr 2017 at 11:19

If Button doesn't come back - which is highly likely, then McLaren have 3 junior drivers. Lando Norris is in FR2.0 so is far to inexperienced. However they do have GP3 driver Nyck De Vries, who had a half decent end to last season winning 2 races, and GP2s Nobuharu Matsushita, who's unreliable, but did win the Monaco Sprint race last year.

Japanese junior driver, Japanese engine manufacturer... my money's on Matsushita.

Housey · 13 Apr 2017 at 11:26

Button in at Monaco

SDK^ · 13 Apr 2017 at 11:33

Button for the win then

andicole0 · 13 Apr 2017 at 11:53

SDK^ said:
Button for the win then

If it rains a lot, why not
Andi.

Shimmy · 13 Apr 2017 at 12:26

It's purely just speculation right now isn't it?

No one has confirmed anything. Although it's assumed as McLaren's reserve driver that JB would slot in.

Merlin5 · 13 Apr 2017 at 12:40

BBC radio 5 live just mentioned Button as pretty much confirmed, that there was never really any other serious option since the reserve driver doesn't have the experience.

andicole0 · 13 Apr 2017 at 12:46

I suppose they could ask Givizziona (sp?) Give Ferrari an insight to the Honda engine. PDR still has a license
Andi.

andicole0 · 13 Apr 2017 at 13:10

Now Stoffel says he's missing Hungary to do Spa 24. Ref. drivers confetence on Sky.
Andi.

Mark365 · 13 Apr 2017 at 14:01

I think it is a genius idea for McLaren Honda & Alonso to race at this years Indy 500. It's very good for the McLaren brand and more importantly the Honda brand which seems to be the engine to have so far in this years Indycar season. I am still waiting for the calls of "how dare you belittle F1 and compete in Indycar" rants. I hope they have success and prove that McLaren-Honda does work. It's just the stupid regulations regarding testing that are holding them back in F1.

Blackvault · 13 Apr 2017 at 14:39

Merlin5 said:
BBC radio 5 live just mentioned Button as pretty much confirmed, that there was never really any other serious option since the reserve driver doesn't have the experience.

It kind of makes a mockery of your junior/development/reverse drivers doesn't it.

Mark365 · 13 Apr 2017 at 14:50

Blackvault said:
It kind of makes a mockery of your junior/development/reverse drivers doesn't it.

I think JB is the right choice to replace Alonso. I would love to see Lando Norris in the McLaren but for goodness sake not this years car.

Dup · 13 Apr 2017 at 14:52

A rookie at Monaco probably not a great idea so makes a lot of sense.

Plus, he can just roll out of bed, into the car, wait for it to break down then go party. Hopefully do another Ted's Notebook!

Blackvault · 13 Apr 2017 at 14:53

Mark365 said:
I think JB is the right choice to replace Alonso. I would love to see Lando Norris in the McLaren but for goodness sake not this years car.

Yes I'd agree he's probably best best choice. But really McLaren should have an experience development driver or reverse driver. In my opinion their driver line-up should be:

Young Driver - 16yo in the Junior Formula
Development Driver - Someone like Button, with years of preferable F1 experience or Rob Bell or any of the McLaren GT factory drivers
Reverse Driver - Someone who has maybe won GP2 and hasn't fast tracked through the single seater forumlas.
Race Drivers - Ideal their ex reverse driver and someone coming towards the end of their career.

A good quote from Joe Saward.

McLaren has a very limited number of choices. There are only about 40 drivers who are qualified for superlicences in 2017 and most of them are not at all suitable for F1. Twenty-one of them are F1 drivers (if one includes Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Giovinazzi). There are some test drivers, such as Sergey Sirotkin and Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Young Driver Nyck de Vries, but he does not seem to be a likely choice at the moment. There are some Formula E drivers and a string of sports car stars, plus the retired Mark Webber.

There are six Indycar drivers on the list: four Penske drivers: Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya. Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon. He’s a Honda driver, but it is unlikely that Ganassi would let him wander off, as he is after a third Indy 500 win. That leaves Rossi.

It is fairly likely that whoever drives the McLaren at Monaco will appear in a McLaren next week in the Bahrain test…

englishpremier · 13 Apr 2017 at 15:20

I guess we will see if @drunkenmaster's prediction of it being a terrible decision comes to fruition.

Personally I think Alonso will have of problem in the Indy than Button at Monaco. It's not like he's never driven an F1 car when they had massive downforce, or when they've had hybrid engines, or a rubbish car at the back of the grid, or around Monaco.