What’s on this week
IN MANY WAYS, JENSON BUTTON’S Life to the Limit reflects his Formula 1 career. The book is warm, engaging and can thrill, but for a lengthy period it never quite sets the world alight.
The strength of Button’s memoir is the touching affection, evident throughout, for his late father John. From the family home in Frome where Button was inspired watching F1 in the 1980s, through their partnership in karting and then the highs and lows of life in the grand prix spotlight, the love and devotion between the pair is clear. When recalling his father’s death in 2014, Button quotes a friend saying “you haven’t mourned him enough” – hopefully the process of reflecting on the memories they made together for this book has helped the process.
Life to the Limit suffers from the same problem as many sporting autobiographies. Button spends a bit too much time recounting his childhood and early racing exploits before covering most of his F1 career at a higher speed than he achieved in a Mclaren-honda towards the end of his time in the category. Turbulent, and therefore controversial, moments feel a touch glossed over too. You’re left wanting to know more about Button’s Williams/ BAR contract wrangling in 2004, for example, but then covering every fascinating tale from a career packed with ups and downs would be tricky.
But there is genuine insight across the pages. You especially find it in the little details of the bigger moments of Button’s story. Naturally, the Honda/ Brawn transformation is well covered, and you learn that Button considered a Toro Rosso drive before committing to Ross Brawn’s eponymous squad for what went on to become his titlewinning season. The 2009 world champion’s memory of Nick Fry’s fury at finding out Button was heading to Mclaren for ’10 is also a real peekbehind-the-curtain moment, as was reading about Fernando Alonso “laughing his tits off” after taking an anti-malaria pill in Kenya in ’02.
Button’s book is split into three parts – his karting days, his F1 career leading up to the end of 2009, and then his time at Mclaren. In the final part, we read his thoughts on his switch to the Woking-based team, as well as his take on Lewis Hamilton. You’re left with the impression that Button respects and admires his fellow Brit, while at the same time he doesn’t hold back on questioning the high-profile contentious moments that characterised the final years of Hamilton’s time at Mclaren.
A somewhat glaring omission from
Life to the Limit is any criticism of Honda’s performance as Mclaren’s engine supplier in recent years. Button’s frustration with F1 as he dealt with his father’s death is clear, but you wonder if his tale might have had an altogether different ending had the manufacturer actually produced a decent power unit.
Button writes that he understands the media always hope “I’m going to break with the protocol” and that he prefers to leave that to the more combative Max Verstappen. At times the book feels like an extension of that approach. Given that Button writes he “will race in the future”, we shall no doubt see if the lack of Alonso-esque Honda bashing is a tactful ploy with his future racing ambitions in mind.
Overall, Life to the Limit is a charming tale, told with the wry humour Button is known for. There’s enough insight to captivate the reader and air a few amusing grievances – he doesn’t hold back on Flavio Briatore and Sir Richard Branson – so it’s a must-read if you’re a Button fan or a general F1 supporter.