I'd call Button a steady-Eddie.
Nothing special, but he'll get the car home in the points if the balance is ok
Personally if Renault are allowed to re-work the engine next year then I can't see past a RBR domination. They're already the 2nd best team in race trim, and it's only for their lack of horse power that they aren't challenging for wins.
Honda have the ability to take the best principles of the merc and Renault engine and make a "best" version, although I don't trust McLaren's aero to outshine that of RBR. Sadly I think this season may be a "one hit wonder" for Mercedes, but I hope I'm wrong.
Eh, the engine isn't only about the pure power, how and when to use the harvested power is exceptionally important as is the brake by wire system and how well a team can harvest the energy. This is where Merc are dominating particularly the other Merc teams, but really every one. Their harvesting system, software, brake by wire, engine in general are all best on the grid and it's arguable that Merc have the best aero as well.
Merc aren't a one season wonder, they've improved because they improved the team building the car, this years car is no fluke but the result of a fundamentally strong team they've put together and probably the best driver on the grid to go with it.
Merc can improve their engine further next year also, ultimately if Renault "fix" the engine by copying the Merc design it will be a new design next year for the large part, while Merc will refine and improve it so it will still likely be better. On top of that Renault/RBR have failed to get on top of Kers for years and still don't seem at their best, showing a few failures in their kers/ers systems at various points already(not sure about in race yet but in practice/qualifying it's failed to varying degrees).
Newey himself has said they are losing a second down the straights in a race to Merc, but they are much more than a second down a lap. There is more than pure engine power at play in that merc, it's an excellent car in every aspect.
Also we've got the situation where if Renault make significant changes so the packaging has to change significantly, even if it's for the better, it means doing many things from new next year for Red Bull where again Merc will be refining and improving an already excellent design. Red Bull are starting from much further back.
Ferrari have a system like Merc's on the car don't forget, the split turbo design with the further forward intercooler, they didn't make the gap as extreme as they felt they couldn't handle the vibration that such a large gap would create. So it's not easy to do, Merc did it, doesn't mean Renault can, Ferrari tried it and decided it was too difficult and went smaller and less effective.
When you have a lead into new regulations, if other people copy a part they are still copying something and starting new, where the team with said part are refining and improving it. It's still an advantage. Many teams copied what RBR did but while they added a new part RBR refined the existing part and went better still.
That doesn't mean Merc will dominate next year, or all of this year, but the Merc team we see today isn't the same team that built the last car or was in place for the majority of the past 4 years, it's drastically improved. This car isn't one fluke idea like the double diffuser on the brawn. EVERYTHING on the car is fantastic, not one piece, and they are already bringing the biggest improvements(front nose) and doing the things that Red Bull have been known for. Taking the engine and making something unexpected, new and incredibly successful. Taking the nose regulations and finding a way to basically use the old better nose design in the new rules. They are doing everything that has made Red Bull so successful recently.
Little points to obvious RBR domination next year, though it's possible, and literally nothing points to Merc as a one season wonder. Last years dramatic improvement in the car was also down to the new improved Merc team, it was just smaller changes on a fundamentally problematic car(it was completely worthless to spend money on a complete redesign last year.. look at Mclaren, crap last year and the worst Merc team this year, because they spent too long on last year's car and not enough on this years car).
Two years being the most improved team on the grid each year both directly points to not a one off, and the lack of the one lucky killer feature part of the car does the same. Anyone can find a massive loophole and create one feature that others don't. But Merc simply got every last thing on the car bang on the money, every new and good idea(new nose, engine, brakes, software, kers, aero) right. Red Bull will close but I think unless Honda knock it right out of the park at the first attempt that Merc will be very very strong next year also.
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