Jenson Button leaving for Ferrari to replace Felipe Massa?
The truth of one day is not that of the next: a month ago Jenson Button stated that he could only see himself leaving McLaren to retire. Today, he declares that he has always dreamed of driving for Williams, McLaren, and Ferrari and that he is not closing the door on a potential transfer.
Thus, the Guardian reveals very surprising remarks from the 2009 world champion: « As a child, you are all excited about the idea of driving for the red team. There are three teams I always wanted to race for when I was a child: Ferrari, McLaren, and Williams. I got to drive for two of them, which is great and something I didn’t think I would do when I was an eight-year-old. Ferrari is, of course, a team I haven’t raced for. I have won the world championship, and I would like to win it again. »
This change in tone compared to his previous statement may be related to the fact that the Scuderia cannot be satisfied with the increasingly less convincing results of Felipe Massa. Since he was forced to step aside for Fernando Alonso during the German Grand Prix (the famous radio message «Fernando is faster than you»), the Brazilian has been a shadow of his former self: he has only recorded two third-place finishes since then, while his teammate has achieved seven podiums, including three victories, in the same period.
If Felipe Massa has a contract for the 2012 season, it is not a 100% guarantee that he will be at Maranello next year: the Scuderia did not hesitate to break Kimi Räikkönen’s contract (for a substantial financial compensation) in 2010 to offer his seat to Fernando Alonso. If Ferrari deemed the Brazilian’s results no longer acceptable, he might pack his bags.
Jenson Button therefore left the door open by stating: “I don’t even know what I’m going to do tomorrow. I don’t make long-term plans” while just a month ago he said: “I am in a position where the majority of drivers would dream to be, and I have worked very hard for it. I could be here for another three, five years…”
The future will tell us if this little statement is a way to put a little more pressure on current leadership within the framework of negotiations for the renewal of his contract or a true declaration of a desire for a change of scenery.
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
