Even when he did have a faster car he made a lot less mistakes than hamilton does and continues to make.
When he had the 2nd fastest car on the grid he drove just about faultless races.
Ive never said that the Button of 2005/6 wasnt any good. What I've said is that he has lost the will to win. This has happened over the last 2 years and at this point he cannot possibly be mentioned in the same breath as the leading runners. He is at the back of the grid for a reason...not by chance.
Of course hamilton is multi champion material, he's in the best car on the grid. Take him out and put any of 5 or 6 others in the car and they would be multi winners.
It doesnt quite work that way. If it did, then any team with the best car could get any F1 driver and make him world champion (- I think you previously claimed something like this). We know for a FACT that this isnt the case, as people like MS, Hamilton, Prost and Senna have made their team-mates look very slow in comparison.
A multiple World Champion operates on a totally different level to most other drivers and can generally wipe the floor with other drivers, in other (sometimes faster) cars.
To win a world championship, you need a competitive car (not necessarily the best car), a bit of luck, team support and an abundance of hunger and skill. If you have all these in place, then you will do well.
Yet you rate Massa as a driver that can be mentioned in the same breath as hamilton based on pre 2008????
You mis-read. I placed Kimi as a top driver, based on his pre-2008 performance. His 2008 performance was indifferent.
Massa is a driver who isnt naturally gifted, where he can get in a car and immediately go fast. He needs time to adapt. Time to adapt to a new car with new characteristics. He needs time to learn a new track. But, when he does learn, he is pretty special. He's not great at overtaking, but in terms of absolute speed, he is one of the best.
Is Button as good as hamilton, most likely not. Yet I still believe he would have won the title in a mclaren with half the aggro and mistakes.
I'm sure that if Button wanted to, he could've manouvered himself into a faster car for 2008. He didnt. He's happy picking up his monster salary and playing at the back of the field, out of the spotlight, getting beat by the old man of F1. Sorry man, I can see you like Button a lot, but you have to face facts - in 2006, he might've been world championship material, but in 2008, he got beat by his team mate and if he couldnt handle Barrichello, how do you expect him to have handled Hamilton, Alonso or Massa?
What happens as regards innovation/development on the "standard" kit though...?