Why do people still think Button is having any problems with the car, where was he in Q1 and Q2.
He was ahead of Hamilton but much later in the session and realistically, Hamilton just doing an easy lap. Q2 with both trying, Button was 3/10th's behind Hamilton, the rough same distance he was behind hamilton in most qualifying in the past 2 years. He is exactly the same gap behind Hamilton as he has ALWAYS been, the difference is there used to be either none, or 1-2 cars max in that 3/10th's gap between them, now there is really anything up to 7-8 cars, that is the only difference.
There is nothing wrong with his car, last year and the year before, he was always going to be 3/10th's behind, but that wasn't costing him many if any places, so he had no need to push ultra hard to get that gap down. Now, because that 3/10th's is the equivalent of several cars between them, he's having to push much much harder to close the gap, and in doing so is locking up more often and making more mistakes.
Last year Q1 1-17 was between 1:13.8 and 1:16.3. A 2.5 second difference, this year it was :1.14.6 and 1:15.5, less than 1 second gap.
Q2 1-10 last year was between 1:13.4 and 1:14.5, just over a second gap, this year 1:14.1 and 1:14.6 half a second.
Q3 1:13 and 1:14 last year, a second gap, today roughly a second(ignoring Button not trying). So Q3 hasn't changed but the gaps in Q1/Q2 are huge.
THe most pathetic thing is, if Button had gone 3/10th's slower than Hamilton rather than wuss out, he'd likely have been 4th or 5th.
Button looks worse in Q1 and Q2 because, its MUCH closer this year than last year Q3 spreads out again as the top few stretch their legs a bit more which they don't really bother with before Q3.
Button complains when he's fastest, and slowest, and anywhere in between, if he wins a race you hear him on the radio mention something he had a problem with, he's a complainer, that's it.
Anyway, I can't see a Hamilton win, I don't think the car is good enough, RBR now look simply faster on raw pace and further ahead in race pace, coupled with Mclaren's awful tactics meaning they rarely if ever pit at the right time I just can't see it.
Personally I'd like to see Hamilton, if he can get ahead in the first lap burn those tyres, make a gap and go for a two stopper, I think he can pass people, especially if he's not saving tyres as much, at the very least to see if burning tyres and going faster can be a viable alternate strategy as we've not seen it from the front yet. We've seen people further back try alternate strategy's but it becomes very hard to know if it worked or not as they get held up, etc, etc. I can't see Hamilton having the pace/tyre life to beat Alonso/Vettel on the same strategy, if he can do it on a two stop though, interesting to see.
