Button’s debut
It was 2000 when Jenson Buttonat the time twenty years oldalmost scored his first point on his Formula 1 debut. A result that was not achieved only because of a retirement due to technical problems, but after long pre-season controversies in which he was deemed too young to participate in a Formula 1 world championship: “It was fair to say that I was very young – the future 2009 world champion reminded the media – I hadn’t done any testing because the engines kept blowing up, so I didn’t have enough miles to get the superlicense, but they gave it to me. In Melbourne I crashed in practice and they said: “See, we told you!” Then in the race I was 6th before the engine blew, so I could have scored points in my first F1 race.”
Bearman and Antonelli
For the former English pilot that is a distant memory that today lives by observing the cases of Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. While the British driver has already been announced as Haas’ next driver starting in 2025, the Bolognese (Bearman’s teammate at Prema in F2) is still indicated as one of the main candidates to fill the seat that Lewis Hamilton will leave empty at the end of this world championship in Mercedes. For Button, however, the real problem does not lie in the debut of these young talents in the top series, but in how these they can be managed from two top teams like Mercedes and Ferrariwhere Bearman grew up and with which he already made his debut this year in Saudi Arabia to replace the unavailable Carlos Sainz, also obtaining a good result in 7th place.
The warning to the teams
According to Button, in fact, promising drivers must seize the opportunity to land in Formula 1 when faced with an offer, as was his case, but incorrect management by the teams risks ruining their careers: “I don’t think it was too early for me – he added – and I believe that we should seize every opportunity whenever it arises, especially for young people of 17, 18 or 19 years old. You can’t say no! But teams have to think about what they are doing to a driver at that age. If he blossoms, that’s great, but The pressures that this sport brings can destroy a driver’s career. So there is a real balance, and Teams must be careful“.
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