Button, the 2009 world champion, was also involved in several memorable
tussles with fellow Briton Lewis
Hamilton during their three years together at McLaren. He could
hardly have expected the latest recruit, given Perez’s dismal return of two
championship points pre-Bahrain, to be hewn from the same uncompromising
stock.
Hamilton fully approved of the McLarens’ battle in the Bahrain desert and of
Whitmarsh’s decision not to interfere. “That’s the good thing about Martin,”
said the
28-year-old, third in the drivers’ championship after a fourth straight
top-five finish for new team Mercedes.
“He allows his drivers to race. That’s what he has always done, from the
time that I was there. He doesn’t change. We are there to race – as long as
it is effectively, and with respect with each other. We just have to take
care we don’t take each other out.”
The imperative for McLaren not to let their inter-driver conflict escalate is
clear. Having last won the constructors’ title in 1998, they have endured a
torrid start to the campaign and lie sixth in the standings as F1 prepares
to return to Europe in three weeks’ time. Concerted efforts are taking place
at their Woking factory to improve their troublesome 2013 car, the MP4-28,
in the hope that it can at last prove competitive at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s place in the calendar looks increasingly secure despite
another year of violent anti-F1 demonstrations in the country, as Bernie
Ecclestone disclosed on Monday that he was prepared to grant the Gulf
kingdom a five-year contract extension to 2021. Despite claiming that the
Bahrain government were “stupid” for allowing the grand prix to give
exposure to human rights protesters, the 82-year-old, F1’s commercial rights
holder, said: “They do a super job and we are more than happy to give them a
new contract for five years. I don’t see any problems.”
Ecclestone is considering switching the opening grand prix of the season to
Bahrain, who pay £26 million a year for hosting rights, just as he did in
2006 and 2010. While the official attendance at Sunday’s race of 28,000
counts among the lowest in the sport, Zayed Al-Zayani, chairman at the
Sakhir circuit, is considering marking next year’s 10th instalment of the
event by holding the race at night.