Should Honda Push The Button?

In my last couple of articles, I have touched on the issues Honda seem to be facing with their driver line up for future seasons. I think it makes sense at this point just to state that Jenson Button is my favourite driver and F1 hero so if my opinions lean his way, I’m sorry.

Since this year’s Japanese GP, F1 fans and commentators have been scratching their heads as to why Honda chose not to announce their 2009 driver line up. 

My personal feeling, as I have stated before, is that for 2009 things should stay the way they are. However, should Honda be able to mount a significant title challenge the current set up would not work.

I know I’m a hopeful Honda fanatic, and I am currently dreaming of 2009 success, but the sensible fellow inside me realises that it’s more likely that next year will not provide a radical change in my team’s fortunes.  It will take time and as Micheal Schumacher states in this month's F1 racing magazine: if Ross Brawn can’t pull Honda from the abyss…no one can.

Anyway, I digress; the likes of Schumy, Alonso, Hakkinen, and probably this year Hamilton have shown that F1 teams challenging for the driver’s title these days need to build the team predominantly around one ‘star’ driver.

This season has shown that Honda are the most well balanced team on the grid.  If Jenson out-qualifies Rubens in Brazil, each driver will have beaten the other nine times!  Though recently Rubens has done better than Jenson in race trim, the two RA108s have finished consistently within a couple of places of each other.

I realise that to back one driver is not exactly sporting, but unfortunately, I think it is the only way to secure success. I think a lot of Ferrari’s troubles this year have been a result of backing both drivers and not uniting behind just one (as McLaren seem have done with Lewis).

I personally believe that Ferrari did this because they thought (and perhaps hoped) Kimi would have been stronger and quickly established himself as number one man.  His form, this year, has lacked performance and I think Ferrari were stuck trying to back their 'number one man' who was being beaten by a number two who, though he has proven his critics wrong this year, is still a bit of a risk.

Lets say Honda are able to challenge next year for the title…who do they back? Poor old Rubens has spent most of his career playing second fiddle to a rather good German driver and Jenson has spent most of his career being told he has the skill but not the car.

Say Honda got rid of Rubens and signed Alonso, it would be pretty obvious who they would be backing then! Would Jenson be happy about this? If Honda chucked Rubens for Senna would he be able to mould the growing team in the same way the most experienced driver on the grid could?

The answer to both these questions is no!  If you ask me, Rubens is a great champion that never was, and Jenson has a couple of seasons left before he too falls into the great driver that never was class as well.

Both drivers are top blokes but I’m not sure Rubens has the killer instinct to challenge for a title anymore.  He seems to just be enjoying his racing life at the moment, which is great to watch, but not really what Honda needs.

My suggestion for the future? Keep Rubens and Jenson for 2009 and give Senna the test seat.  Groom Senna, get behind Jenson and let Rubens help you improve the team and enjoy himself.  In 2010, hopefully with a challenging car, bring in Senna for a debut season supporting perhaps a final challenge for Jenson. 

2010 Jenson Button world champion? If not, look after and keep Senna, keep on Jens to maintain stability and go from there. 

I don’t think, in my heart of hearts that Honda will improve enough next year for a challenge, but I do believe that maintaining the current driver line-up would help build the team, maintain stability and perhaps create a 2010 car that is good enough for Jenson to show us what he really can do.