Why Rubens and Jenson Are the Right Men for the Job

With just days to go before the 2009 Formula One season opener, I simply couldn’t wait any longer to get another article out there about the team I love and support.  I thought about writing a season preview, or a full evaluation of the team thus far.

However, I decided those ideas would most likely simply be reproductions of articles others, and I have recently written.

So, instead, I think I’d like to write about two of the best placed and talented drivers on the 2009 grid; Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.

Why do I think they are the best two men for the job? How do I think they will fare next season? And why I think both have everything to prove…and nothing to prove.

Starting with Jenson, a man who is much criticised by the press and I have to say commentators on Bleacher.  Now I will admit, since his very beginnings in F1 he has been my driving hero (so I do realize that I am biased).

I understand that many dislike Jenson because of his huge pay packet, others simply don’t rate him as a driver, but regardless of those two reasons I think it would have been a travesty if the Brit. had not been included in the Brawn GP set up.

This is primarily due to the total loyalty that Jenson has given the team (ermm since the whole Williams fiasco back in 2005).  Anyway, Williams aside, since 2005 Jenson has committed himself 100% to the Brackley based outfit.

I have written before about poor old Jens’s awful season by season luck, but from the dizzying highs of 2004 to the woeful lows of 2007 and 2008, he has stayed where he is and has not complained too much. 

I would also add that either Jenson knew something we didn’t, or that he was in fact incredibly brave to not take the safe drive that was no doubt offered at Torro Rosso for 2009.  He waited it out with his career on the edge of destruction and got his reward (albeit with a 50% pay cut).

I expect many of you will go to town on my previous paragraph, still believing Jenson to be an overpaid failure who only stayed at Honda because nothing better came along.  For those of you I will now explain why I think Jenson is one of the best drivers on the grid.

When Jenson started his F1 career back in 2000 he showed an awful lot of promise.  I know Lewis finished Second in his F1 debut, but to finish eighth in the 2000 Drivers' Championship, as Jenson did was no small thing.  Showing clear talent, smooth skills and quick pace, qualifying third and finishing fourth at Spa.

However, he did also make a number of rookie mistakes during the season, including crashing while under safety car conditions at Monza (but think about it, Lewis also made mistakes, in 2008 and 2009).

Jenson’s career then began to go slightly downhill, thanks in no small part to below par cars.  His talent wasn’t truly illustrated again until he signed for BAR Honda in 2003.  From 2003 onwards the only thing holding the Brit back was the on off performance of the Hondas he was piloting. 

For example in 2004, the BAR he drove was incredible, and Button was in his element.  I strongly believed that 2004 would be the year Jens got his first win, but I settled very happily with his first pole, podium and third place in the drivers Championship!  Whereas in 2005 BAR dropped the ball and Jenson’s machine simply couldn’t deliver.

In 2006 Jenson won his first GP, after I suppose a rather long wait.  However, despite the brilliant second half of the season, 2006 was no special time for Honda and by the beginning of 2007 things looked very bleak. 

The end of cigarette sponsorship saw the departure of Honda’s title sponsor Lucky Strike, and the bosses in Japan seemed to lose their minds.  First Geoff Willis left, then others followed, leaving what can only be described as an incompetent technical head behind.  2007 and 2008 were largely appalling years for the team, but arguably not for Jenson. 

Button showed that he was committed and drove the cars as best he could, scoring points when humanly possible and never attacking the team.  Many have said that Jenson’s leadership qualities came into their own in those two dark years. 

Despite seeming strong, Jenson himself admitted that his enthusiasm for the sport was waning, but with the arrival of Ross Brawn came new hope for Jenson (who I suspect rather hero worships Brawn).

Though he was largely outperformed by Rubens in 2008, Jenson’s belief was revitalised and following the development of the 2009 Honda, he seemed more excited than ever.

But as we all know the RA109 never made an appearance……Well not as the RA109 anyway.  With the formation of Brawn GP came the news that Jens was a confirmed driver for 2009.  Better still both drivers stunned in the previous two tests in Spain with Jenson finishing the team’s test top of the time sheets.

Many said of Jenson’s 2008 season that he had nothing to prove and that now with a supposedly awesome car, he has everything to prove.   I would argue though that Brawn GP is still very young, and will undoubtedly suffer from at least some technical problems early on. 

I think it would be silly to expect such a team to be winning races in the beginning.  I would argue that the only thing against Jenson is time, he is getting on a bit and new blood is desperatly trying to push into the sport.

Regardless of that, as I have attempted to argue for the Brit, the skill is there, the passion is back and all that is left to do is his best.  Sure Jenson has to keep up with Rubens, but as long as he doesn’t lose it, for me he has nothing to prove. 

Jenson Button may have had a see-saw career thus far but it is more a case of Brawn GP having something to prove than my British number one.

Now Rubens Barrichello I have long regarded as the Andy Roddick of F1.  A great talent, unfortunately at the wrong time.  Poor old Roddick has Roger Federer and Raffa Nadal,  Rubens has Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso.

Much like Jens, Rubens began his F1 career with a lot of promise in the early 90s with Jordan. Again much like Button, reliability was the Brazilian’s downfall.  His Jordan's reliability in 1993 was poor, and more often than not packed up.

In 1994 Rubens scored his first podium but nearly lost his career with a violent crash during a Friday practice.  Despite the crash and the death of his hero and mentor Senna, Barrichello recovered and drove well for the rest of the season. 

He even made history through his pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix (the youngest driver to secure pole position).

1995 saw the return of Jordan’s unwanted reliability issues and as a result the year proved disappointing. 1996 was much the same and by the end of the year Barrichello's relationship with team owner Eddie Jordan disintegrated, for 1997, he left for the newly formed Stewart Grand Prix.

Yet more reliability issues for the unfortunate brazilian saw him only finish three races and 1998 was also pretty poor.  However, despite the poor reliability of the team, Barrichello performed well and consistently beat both team mates that he had for the season.  1999 was better, but not great. 

Still dogged by reliability Rubens did as well as he could and by the end of the year was attracting the attention of a certain Jean Todt.  For the 2000 season Rubens would wear red overalls. 

I don’t quite know what to write about Rubens’s Ferrari years.  In his debut season he achieved his first win and he did put in some amazing performances between 2000 and 2005, but it was always very clear that he was number two.  

From 2001 onwards Barrichello played a major supporting role for Michael Schumacher, helping the German find glory.  In fact the following year Ferrari team orders required Barrichello to allow the trailing Michael Schumacher to pass him at the final straight of the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix to take the victory.

Despite pathetic attempts to appease the angry fans by switching places on the podium it was now more clear than ever that as long as Michael drove for Ferrari, Rubens wouldn’t get a look in.

In the 2005 season, Ferrari lacked the pace of previous years and the emergence of a fiery young Spaniard put Michael in his place.  In August 2005 Rubens announced that he would be leaving Ferrari at the end of the year to join Honda.

Barrichello was largely outperformed by Jenson throughout 2006, but thanks to car modifications the team became more balanced.  Again in 2007 Jenson was the better of the two Honda drivers with Rubens unable to score any points.

The 2008 season was a close run thing, but of the two Honda boys Rubens eventually came out on top, even scoring a podium finish in Britain.  Both Jenson and Rubens drove as well as they could but I began to get the horrible feeling throughout the season that Rubens was once again being thought of as the supporter to Jenson. 

It was very clear who was the favourite of the two and by the end of 2008 it looked as if Ruben’s career was over.  Though Jenson is my hero, I was outraged at Rubens’s treatment as I thought he had more than earned his place at the team for 2009.

Ironically, I think Honda’s demise was the best possible thing for the brazilian.  I am almost 100% sure that if Honda had continued then it would have been piloted by Button and Senna. 

The time it took organising a buyer meant that to employ Senna would have been ludicrous.  The young brazilian would have been the most inexperienced rookie in F1 history and I don’t think it would have done his F1 career any favours.  As I said earlier, I don’t think Jenson has too much to prove. 

However, I do unfortunately think that Rubens does.  In 2008 Rubens drove his socks off, only to be told at the end that the team was strongly considering replacing him.  I think Rubens will have to maintain a high level and probably out perform his teammate more often than not to retain a place for 2010. 

That is not to say that I don’t think he can do it, I just think it will be difficult for him.  Time will tell if we will see Rubens beyond 2009.

I think, of the choices available, Brawn GP has the two best drivers for the Job; Jenson, has clear talent and determination.  The Brit is committed to the team and I hope will stay until the end of his career.

Rubens also has skill, experience, and he also has something to prove.  The Brazilian also has first hand experience of driving for a newly formed team which can only serve Brawn well.  

For the 2009 season I hope both excel and show just how good they are.  I believe that both of them, to an extent, have something to prove and their performances will show that.  All that is left to do is cross our fingers and wait.