“Having the right team behind me will allow me to focus on what’s important
which is to continue to develop as a driver, further my career in F1 and
ultimately fight it out for race wins and a World Championship.”
Goddard, who takes care of Button’s financial affairs and will perform a
similar role for di Resta, added that the Scottish driver was “a serious
talent and a star of the future”.
Di Resta’s decision does, though, pose one or two questions. For a start, it
makes the relationship between Button and Hamilton that bit more awkward, at
least while di Resta and Hamilton Snr continue to press ahead with their
current court case.
It also raises possibility of potential conflicts of interest further down the
line. For instance, if Hamilton was to move from McLaren to Mercedes, as has
been mooted, and di Resta was to take his place at Woking, Goddard would
find himself managing drivers on both sides of the garage. And one of those
drivers would have helped to set up the company managing the other.
“It wouldn’t be a conflict at all,” Goddard told Telegraph Sport of his
role. “Naturally they would be trying to beat each other in that situation
but my role as a driver-manager is to help a driver to the best of my
ability, not to harm his team mate in any way. So I wouldn’t be looking to
help one over the other.
“Besides, there are two of us at the top of The Sports Partnership and if
needed James could always look after one whilst I looked after the other.”