Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HAMILTON RACING HIERARCHY
Button: Lewis can equal Schu’s title record but must ignore chat of switching teams
JENSON BUTTON has told Lewis Hamilton to focus on breaking F1 records, rather than worrying about who he is driving for next season.
Hamilton met with Ferrari bosses at the end of last year, with his £40million-a-year Mercedes contract running out at the end of the coming campaign.
The British superstar, 35, has the chance to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world titles this season.
And ex-champion Button has urged his former team-mate at Mclaren to ignore the paddock chatter, and put all his energy into a fourth consecutive title, starting with next weekend’s opener in Melbourne.
Button said: “Pretty much every Brit and fan of Lewis wants to see him win a championship again and to make it seven.
“But there are always going to be rumours when a guy has won six world championships.
“Sometimes, teams comment on situations like that to unsettle drivers, or to unsettle other teams. Who knows what truths there are in it?
“I’d be surprised if Lewis changes teams. He has repaid Mercedes by winning five world championships with them, and they have given him the car to do so. It is very difficult for him to walk away from that.
“I don’t know what would make you change your mind, and make you want to leave a team that you have such a great relationship with.
“It’s not like he is seeing them spiral out of control, or not have the funding in the future. I think that is the only thing that would make him think of moving teams – if Mercedes wasn’t Mercedes any more.”
Button revealed he held talks with Ferrari bosses in 2011, but turned them down to stay at Mclaren.
“I love the idea of Ferrari but I want to win, that’s my main aim,” he said. “I am not sure I would have gone there just because they are Ferrari though.
“Personally, Mclaren was a better option for me to be with at that time.”
The arguments continue over the way F1’s governing body, the FIA, chose to deal with allegations Ferrari had been bending the rules last season.
A settlement on the legality of their engine was reached behind closed doors, much to the annoyance of the rest of the teams that do not use Ferrari power.
But despite the ongoing row, Button reckons Hamilton’s biggest threat to title No.7 will still come from Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and young-gun Charles Leclerc.
“If he is the Sebastian that won four world championships, then he has got a great chance of clinching the title,” Button said. “If he is not, then Charles has.
“That has got to be a good atmosphere and I can’t wait to be watching what unfolds at Ferrari. I really think they will take it to Mercedes.”
Jenson Button will be part of the Sky Sports F1 team throughout the 2020 season. Watch every race exclusively live on Sky Sports F1.