I would agree with you, but only if the chasing driver was the in-form driver, however, this is not the case. Hamilton is in atrocious form unable to complete a single race distance or qualifying session without getting involved in collisions and controversy.
The way Button is driving, he is now more likely to outscore Hamilton (than vice-versa) in the remaining 4 races.
The truth is that Button, at age of 31 is actually improving. This doesn't often happen, but it does occasionally occur. Hamilton on the other hand seems to be going in the opposite direction. He is not acknowledging the problem with regards to collisions/errors and until this happens (or he is allowed to time trial on an empty track), I can't see what will change.
Certainly, Button is not (normally) as fast as Hamilton, but across a full race weekend, Button is currently performing better in virtually all departments.
The one area where Hamilton was invincible (ie. qualifying), no longer appears to be the case, whereby, he is even making errors during qualifying (as we saw 2 days ago).
Even Coulthard alluded to the fact that drivers can go out of form, but they don't usually stay out of form for as long Hamilton has, so this is quite strange. In all honesty, I've never seen a top driver go out of form in the same way that Hamilton has.
Perhaps JRS might be able to dig up examples of drivers losing form for long durations and then returning back to their best?
yet Button today lost out at the start to Hamilton and only got back past him due to a puncture....... is that more great driving by Button?
Button is NOT improving, the Mclaren is VASTLY more competitive with the Red Bull in the second half of this season that doesn't make Button an improving driver.
Red Bull's have been thrashing their tyres all year, you just have to watch Webber following people around this season to see him sliding around like a crazy guy coming out of corners. Mclaren were better on tyres this season and now the car is actually almost bang on as fast as the Red Bull.
Then you have things like, Button only got past Schumacher because Hamilton was fighting him, he only caught Hamilton because he was held up by Schumacher and the only reason both guys got passed him so easily is his tyres gave up pretty much the lap before. Had he not put hamilton on the grass, thats another race Button wouldn't have finished ahead of him.
Hamilton has no zero luck and Button has had it all, the whole turtle takes it slow and steady to win races has SOME merit, but quite simply if the guys infront of him weren't fighting, if Hamilton wasn't slowing cars down(you could see VERY easily that Hamilton AND Schumachers times improved drastically when not racing each other. Defending costs cars time, its been several races where Hamilton has been the ENTIRE reason Button has been involved at all.
Had Hamilton not been fighting, and just cruised around, Button wouldn't have done nearly as well, and Hamilton would have done better, overall Mclaren would be doing worse.
Should we point out that, after having to do very little today except be in the fastest car, without a puncture and without getting stuck behind people due to the puncture, that he went through his second set of soft tyres faster than Hamilton did, and was rarely fighting or pushing close behind people which wears out your tyres faster.
Button is doing well, but at this stage of the season a whole bunch of his points are directly down to Hamilton, and he's in the fastest car(though maybe a touch underfueled today. Had we not had a safety car Alonso would likely have won the race(both saving Button tyres and fuel. There are years everything goes for you, and years everything goes against you. Hamilton has had at least 3 penalties cost him points iirc that should never ever have been given.
I mean the Vettel thing was under investigation but probably not given because it happened at the start, while from what I recall, Schumi actually putting hamilton into the grass in a far more dangerous situation didn't even get investigated.
Vettel has deserved the championship (despite not being all that fun about it) but at least Button gave it a good push too!
