Ferrari thinks about Button
The Scuderia is looking for a possible replacement for Felipe Massa and it's towards the seat of McLaren No. 4 that the attention is turning.
An author of an epic race to claim victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Jenson Button not only earned the total respect of the F1 world. The British driver confirmed his excellent form and seems to be attracting interest from Maranello.
According to the English newspaper News of The World, Ferrari has decided to consider the possibility of approaching the Frome native: « There have been many discussions within the Ferrari team about Button. They have already tried to see if he would be available » a source reportedly told the English tabloid.
The team realized that they needed a stronger teammate for Fernando Alonso than Felipe Massa if they want to win the title, she continues. They saw Jenson prove at McLaren that he could consistently win or be on the podium.
Since 2010 and the arrival of Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, Felipe Massa has outperformed his teammate 9 times in 26 races and does not seem to have withstood the pressure put on the team by Alonso. Button, who joined McLaren in 2010, has only outperformed Lewis Hamilton 10 times but has secured 3 victories and held his own against the 2008 World Champion, whom most experts predicted would overshadow Button.
Button recently indicated that he saw no sense in signing a long-term contract with a team. This statement followed comments from Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team director, who expressed a desire to extend Jenson Button’s contract.
The term of the 2009 World Champion’s contract ends at the end of the 2012 season, at the same time as Felipe Massa’s. News of The World reports a possible £30 million contract (approximately €34 million) for Jenson Button’s move to Italy compared to £18 million (approximately €20.5 million) for his three years at McLaren.
Button would also be on the lists of Red Bull and Mercedes GP for 2013. The Briton could therefore find himself with all the cards in hand when approaching a season that could shake up the current hierarchy. Despite this, the hypothesis of a contract extension at McLaren seems to be the most credible.
