Jenson Button with Fernando Alonso after the 2011 Monaco GP
Apr.2 (PVM) Jenson Button enjoys the challenge of being Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at McLaren, but admits that having Fernando Alonso in the garage beside him on grand prix weekends would be an exciting prospect.
Jenson and Lewis Hamilton after qualifying in Malaysia
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Button said, “Lewis is extremely quick, we see that all the time, and it’s really exciting having a team-mate like that. It’s tough on some days, but other days it’s great, and it’s a real challenge, which I like.”
Button joined McLaren in 2010, becoming part of what was known to be ‘Hamilton’s team’, but in the past two years the 2009 world champion has asserted himself in the Woking squad and last year beat Hamilton in the championship standings. McLaren are the only team to have two world champions in their line-up.
Button nevertheless admits that he would relish the prospect of partnering Ferrari driver Alonso, “If Lewis wasn’t in F1, for example, I personally feel it would be exciting having Fernando as a team-mate. Fernando is extremely talented, he is a double world champion, he is fast.”
“Is he the fastest in the sport? Probably not, and he would probably say the same, but he is very intelligent,” mused Button.
“In some ways we’re similar, in other ways we are definitely not,’ added Button. “One of the ways in which we are is in terms of wanting a team of people around us. We need that support to really achieve. So yeah, he’d be exciting to work with, to work with and to be an enemy, which I’m sure he would be.”