McLaren driver won't dwell on whether this weekend could prove his final British GP; Admits lack of Silverstone win "really hurts"
Wednesday 13 July 2016 15:48, UK
Jenson Button says the possibility he could be facing his final British GP will not cross his mind this weekend as he vows to do "as good a job as I possibly can" in front of his home fans.
For the third successive year, Button heads to Silverstone with uncertainty over his future. The 2009 world champion, the most experienced driver on the grid, is out of contract at McLaren at the end of the season with a decision on whether he stays at Woking not expected for several months.
This weekend represents the 36-year-old's 17th British GP and he insists his only focus is on performing as well as he can.
"There's no point thinking 'oh, it might be my last' because then I'll have to go through those emotions again if it isn't my last," he said.
"In a way you'd say it would be a shame if I didn't think of it as my last and it was my last, but then again I don't want to go into the weekend thinking it's going to be my last and you get to the end of the year and thinking 'b****r it, I actually want to do another year'. It doesn't make your last Silverstone grand prix so special then."
Incredibly, none of Button's 50 career podium finishes have come at his home race, with the Briton's best Silverstone results fourth place in 2004, 2010 and 2014.
Asked about the absence of a British GP win on his CV, Button replied: "It really hurts, but I can't do anything about that right now. You've just got to take it.
When is the British GP on Sky Sports?
"Would I rather have a world championship than win the British Grand Prix? Yes, of course. So I've achieved my main target in Formula 1 already - there's one thing that is definitely missing and that's the British GP.
"And it's not just the win, it's even being on the podium. I've had a couple of races where I've been close - 2014 a metre away from Daniel Ricciardo. In 2011 I was running in second or third and my wheel fell off coming out of the pits.
"It just hasn't worked out. But I love the circuit. It's a great layout, the circuit works to me and has been kind to me in terms of outright pace, but the results just haven't been there."
Button registered his best result of the season with sixth place in Austria last weekend, but accepts his wait for a Silverstone podium is unlikely to end on Sunday.
"I can do as good a job as I possibly can, which is what I will do," he said. "We won't be fighting for a podium. There's another British guy that will be, but I won't have that opportunity this year, which is a shame.
"And I don't know if it's going to be my last British Grand Prix, or I'm halfway through my career… all I know is that I will do my best with what I have available and that's all I can do in front of my home crowd."
His favourite British GPs…
"My first race was pretty awesome. I qualified sixth and overtook Michael Schumacher into turn one, Copse, and finished fifth. I did most of the race on nine [engine] cylinders, not 10, so it was a pretty epic race.
"DC [David Coulthard] won the race, the British fans went crazy, and we had a massive party after. We had a massive tent where we all wore wigs and acted silly. We don't do that anymore - wear wigs anyway! It was an epic weekend, but very special.
"The other one was 2014. It was a difficult time for me privately [Jenson's father John died earlier that year] and I had a lot of support from the fans which meant a lot."
The challenge of Silverstone in 2016…
"It's not as good as it used to be - the old Bridge and Priory [corners] were fantastic. It has changed a little bit, but turns one and two are pretty epic and didn't exist before.
"It's just the low-speed corners, but it's definitely added something in terms of overtaking and that's what the circuit needed. It's such a difficult circuit to overtake on because it's all high-speed, so there are more opportunities.
"It's taken the thrill away of a qualifying lap but in terms of the race and the action it's probably added."
The British fans…
"It's just so nice to see the British fans that come out whether it's chucking it down with rain or 30 degrees, which is very unusual.
"Whatever kit they're wearing, McLaren kit, Williams kit, Mercedes kit, or whatever, you drive past in your road car or a golf buggy going to the event and they're all cheering. There is so much support for our sport and we definitely need that.
"These days there aren't so many grands prix that have a full house - but one of those is definitely the British GP."
