His unexpected title triumph was partly the product of circumstances that prevented other contenders from overcoming his sensational head start, but ultimately it was Jenson Button's talent and tenacity that took him to the top. Then in 2011, as Hamilton endured one of his messiest F1 campaigns, Button led the way for McLaren and ended up second in the standings to Sebastian Vettel.The 2009 World Champion grew up in the sport, maturing from a carefree youngster distracted by having too much too soon into a seasoned survivor who toiled in obscurity for a decade before his perseverance suddenly paid off in a fairy tale finish with a team that came from nowhere. Hamilton eventually got his season going and ended up McLaren's main title contender, though Button still had a shot until the penultimate race. Though Button joined McLaren as reigning world champion in 2010 after his shock success with Brawn, many expected him to struggle against incumbent Hamilton given how well established the younger Briton was at the team.īut instead Button took McLaren's first two wins of 2010, thriving in mixed conditions in Australia and China. 'But Jenson is still young, still healthy, still fit, so I wish him all the best for the future.' 'Max was sitting next to me, along with Jenson and Felipe, and Jenson told Max 'You were just one-year-old when I first got to Formula 1'. 'We were joking in the drivers' briefing the other day,' added Hamilton. Hamilton acknowledged it felt like a changing of the guard in F1, with young drivers such as 18-year-old Max Verstappen making their mark and Felipe Massa and Button - aged 35 and 36 respectively - stepping back. 'He's done 17 years now, a long, long stint in this sport, but what he has given to it is fantastic.'

'I remember watching him when he first got to Formula 1 on a weekend with my dad, eating bacon sarnies, watching Jenson doing what I was dreaming to do. Hamilton, who was team-mates with Button for three years at McLaren from 2010-12 before leaving to join Mercedes, said: 'Jenson's been an extraordinary British champion. Button has signed a two-year ambassadorial deal with McLaren, with an option on the team's side for the 36-year-old to return in 2018.

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