Providing that Jenson Button does the inevitable and wins the formula one World Championship completing what would become one of the most remarkable turnaround’s in the history of world sport questions will always be asked about the controversy of his victory. This creates a critique of the legacy that will be left from a season which has seen complaints over double split diffuser and the failure of the established top teams to build a title competitive car.
Following the nail-biting, edge of the seat drama that enfolded at the end of the 2008 season with Lewis Hamilton denying Felipe Massa winning the championship on his home track, the 2009 season has been seemingly a letdown to most enthralled viewers.
The governing body, the FIA introduced new measures regarding the mechanics of the fastest multi lap racing cars across the globe. New rules governing tyres, aerodynamics and Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS), among others, were some of the biggest changes in the Formula One regulations for several decades. But these changes were not implemented without the controversy often a major talking point within the popular sport.
The KERS button was only available to the richest of teams, therefore supposable giving the title challenging teams a greater chance to overtake. However with only Mclaren Mercedes seen to have developed a system that has not failed the decision to remove the power button was an easy one. The KERS did not have the expected affect on the racing, the cars became heavy and slower. This played into the hands of the teams with lower budgets who, without chasing the 2008 title, were able to develop a better car due to extended period of testing and research.
With the collapse of Honda Jenson Button, once Britian’s biggest F1 pin up boy, was tirelessly searching for a racing seat in the 2009 season and at one point it looked like the search would be lost. This was until Ross Brawn saved the vanishing team and transformed their fortunes, dominating the pre-season time sheets. It was at that moment that people stood up and thought, could this be the most remarkable of comebacks.
The trouble however Button will face, after dominating the first 6 races, is the questions over how much the championship was deserved. With the technological element of Formula One many viewers often question the size of difference between each driver. It was clear that at the start of the season this car was too good compared to the others, with questions over the legality of the split diffuser going to court.
A year of technological development has played into Button’s hands. The top team’s development kicked in too late, with Lewis Hamilton back to his best in Singapore and Hungary, with the Ferrari team also returning to the top of the lap times in the second half of the season. Was this because of the length and strain placed on the teams at the end of the 2008 title battle?
A question will also be placed about Button’s luck. Luck is a key thing in sport, you either have it or you don’t. There are conspiracy’s over whether luck is earned or whether it is fair, but all that is known is that it happens. With incidents throughout the season that have caused major rivals to have misfortune going Button’s way he his share of it. Starting with Vettel getting taken out in Australia and Barrachello forgetting how to start on more than one occasion followed with Hamilton’s disqualification and crashes at circuits he has been strong at.
It is clear that in sport whoever wins deserves to win, the other drivers have failed to make the most of their opportunities. He has drove impeccably throughout with minimalistic mistakes and only a slight dip of motivation throughout the middle of the season. Whether this was to make the title interesting or to remove doubts over the legacy of his championship the conspiracy will continue to go on. But it is up to the viewers themselves to question whether Button will be seen as a national hero, or just a good driver that got a bit lucky one year.
