F1 2015 Head-to-Head: Fernando Alonso vs. Jenson Button at McLaren

It was the inevitable question, but the one Fernando Alonso did not want to answer.

The two-time world champion was, at last, a free man as he took centre stage in the FIA press conference ahead of the last season's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, having had the news of his departure from Ferrari confirmed that morning.

But flanked by Sebastian Vettel, his replacement at the Scuderia, and Jenson Button, the man he was widely expected to replace at McLaren, Alonso looked more like a prisoner when the question—the final question—brightened the mood of a press conference that had been a largely tedious affair until that point.

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"Fernando, if you have the possibility to choose your team-mate for next year, would you choose Jenson?" asked L'Equipe's Frederic Ferret, according to the official FIA website, which prompted a snigger and a mock wipe of the eyebrow from Alonso.

Vettel and Button—who had carried the demeanour of someone ready to be ousted from the sport throughout the weekend—joined in the fun and offered their advice before Alonso, as per the same source, navigated his way out of the situation with typical expertise, stating: "I don’t know where I will be so we will see."

He might have been unwilling to plant his flag on the side of Camp Button so blatantly in public view, but there was always a sense that Alonso was eager to be partnered by the British driver rather than Kevin Magnussen for 2015.

Autosport's Ben Anderson reported that sources close to McLaren were under the impression that the Spaniard wanted Button, and Alonso himself told BBC Sport's Andrew Benson at the penultimate round in Brazil of his desire to see the 2009 world champion remain in the sport.

It would, in fact, not be hyperbolic to suggest that Alonso, running out of time in his quest to secure his third world championship, needed Button to stay on.

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His willingness to race alongside a fellow title-winner for a second successive season, following his time beside Kimi Raikkonen in 2014, marks a significant shift in stance for Alonso and serves as an indication of his mindset as he enters the autumn years of his career.

The single-minded, power-hungry force of nature who once sought nothing less than clear No. 1 status—marginalising the likes of Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa at Renault and Ferrari respectively—has, it seems, mellowed.

Perhaps as a direct result of his so-near-yet-so-far adventures with Ferrari, Alonso appears to have come to the realisation that the greatest driver on the grid—as he is so often heralded—is ultimately nothing without the support of a functional, balanced and harmonious team behind him.

And the presence of Button—a cerebral operator, as well as a popular figure at McLaren and their new engine partner, Honda, whose works outfit he represented between 2006 and 2008—will no doubt establish the springboard for collective success.

That can only help Alonso, who should have the measure of his new team-mate in his pursuit of personal glory.

Button, however, will not see it quite that way.

Offered a reprieve only months after his career seemed to be coming to a close, Jenson now has nothing to lose.

And as a driver who has made a life out of bouncing back from precarious situations—his title success with Brawn GP, achieved less than a year after Honda's withdrawal from F1 left him without a seat, is the most obvious example—that can make Button a dangerous proposition.

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His most recent partnership with a fellow world champion in Lewis Hamilton will be a great source of confidence as Button prepares to take on the benchmark driver of the current era.

In three seasons alongside Hamilton between 2010 and 2012, the Frome-born driver was comprehensively out-qualified and secured two fewer wins than the 2008 world champion, but he still managed to outscore Hamilton by 15 points in the overall tally, as per F1 journalist James Allen.

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Admittedly, an Alonso at the top of his game will provide a far greater test than a Hamilton in the midst of a mid-career crisis—Lewis was frequently troubled for one reason or another throughout his final two seasons alongside Jenson—but there is still reason to believe that Button will rise to the challenge in 2015.

When Sergio Perez was replaced by Magnussen at McLaren for 2014, it was reported at the time by F1 Racing magazine that the team's decision was in part fueled by a desire to extract more out of Button.

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Despite being the team's lead and most high-profile driver, Button, it was thought, needed to be partnered by a standard-setting racer—someone who, in effect, could post "target" lap times—in order to perform at his best.

Both Perez and Magnussen were unable to do that, which meant that McLaren ultimately failed to fully utilise their 2013 and '14 cars, but the arrival of Alonso should put an end to that trend of underachievement, giving Button a clear indication of what he needs to do every time he jumps in the MP4-30.

And that is, in essence, the beauty of McLaren's 2015 line up.

The most productive driver alliances in the history of Formula One—from Nigel Mansell-Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna-Alain Prost through to Vettel-Mark Webber and Hamilton-Nico Rosberg—have been built upon the simple idea of two drivers pushing each other, and in turn, the team, along the path to greatness.

Alonso will view Button as a valuable tool in his next title assault, be it this year or next, while Button finally has the target he's been craving since Hamilton left him behind at the end of 2012.

The pair, wise enough to avoid the power struggles that have defined previous high-profile inter-team rivalries, will live up to their billing as the best line up on the grid.

Now, it's up to McLaren to provide a car worthy of their talents.

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