Jenson Button made his punditry debut with Sky F1 at the British GP, joining Martin Brundle on the grid walk and Natalie Pinkham in the pen as he took to presenting just as quick as he used to race in Formula 1.
And the 2009 world champion, who retired two years ago after an epic 17-season career, also offered pearls of wisdom and insightful opinions after watching a thrilling race…
Were Mercedes wrong to accuse Ferrari of ‘deliberate’ tactics?
It was the big post-race debate following the Lewis Hamilton-Kimi Raikkonen collision, the second time a Ferrari has hit a Mercedes on the first lap in three races, but Jenson was clear in his views.
“It’s definitely not intentional,” he said. “This is not the way anyone goes racing anymore. But it’s tough and there is high tension.
Vettel wins after Hamilton spin
Hamilton and Mercedes fume with Ferrari
“It’s not easy to overtake in a Formula 1 car and they’re trying to make those moves stick on Lap One, because from the second row they know they need to get past.
“They made mistakes but that’s what racing is all about. You try not to but sometimes you slip up.”
2:10 Watch the first lap action of the 2018 British GP where Lewis Hamilton was hit by Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen.
On a thrilling title race
“It’s one of the best years I’ve watched,” added the Englishman. “To see two four-time world champions going at it with different teams, it’s just fantastic.
“It’s to-ing and fro-ing the whole time, you’ve got one guy leading the championship at one point, he has a bad race and then the other guy’s winning. It’s also great to see good on-track action.”
2:17 Sky F1's Anthony Davidson is at the Skypad to analyse that amazing Sebastian Vettel overtake on Valtteri Bottas in Lap 47 to claim victory at the British GP.
Will Fernando Alonso continue at McLaren or leave F1?
Alonso finished ninth at Silverstone and was happy with the result, but his former McLaren team-mate feels he must move elsewhere if he doesn’t see this team improving.
“He’s clearly still enjoying it,” Button noted. “But as a double world champion, finishing ninth and being happy is not really something you want to get used to.
“I don’t know what he’s going to do next year but I think they need a big turnaround and he has to have great belief in them to succeed next year, or he’s going to go. I know how frustrated he is, I can hear it on the radio.
“He’s got ambitions to win the Indy 500 and do the Triple Crown and for me, I feel that’s a good option for him next year. From a drivers’ point of view who’s got experience of this, he’s got to do something else.”
Should Max Verstappen change his style?
Button’s a fan.
“I think he should never change the way he is,” he insisted. “I love watching Max.”
And should Daniel Ricciardo stay at Red Bull?
Ricciardo is a good friend of his and Button had some words of advice for the driver who is out of contract at the end of the year.
“I think it’s the only place he should be,” he said.
“There are many options for him but nothing that’s really going to help him lift the championship and win races. You never want to drop out of that. Building a team up can take years and there’s a big chance it’s not going to work.
“Sticking with a team like Red Bull for me is his best opportunity to win the world championship. They’ll have Honda next year and we’ll see how it goes, but I think they need a bit of change to lift them to the top two.”
16:31 Sky F1's Ted Kravitz reviews the 2018 British GP at the Silverstone Circuit
Can Red Bull challenge Mercedes and Ferrari with Honda power?
It’s a topic Button should know a fair bit about, having been powered by an underperforming Honda engine while finishing his career with McLaren in 2015-16.
They couldn’t lift McLaren to the top, but Button believes the Japanese firm now has what it takes to compete.
“I think when Honda came back into the sport, these power units are so complex and it’s taken them a while to get used to it,” he said. “Now I think they are strong.
“They still need to lift it to get up with Mercedes and Ferrari but now they are fully focused and I think working with a team like Red Bull closely will really make the difference.”
4:17 The former team-mates are reunited in a relaxed and wide-ranging chat as Jenson Button caught up with Lewis Hamilton following his record sixth British GP pole position.
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