Button finished last in Australia and retired in Malaysia
Yet the pertinent question is: why? Why, when what could have been seems so appealing?
Six thousand miles from smoggy Shanghai, back in Blighty – Silverstone specifically – the opening round of the Le Mans-style World Endurance Championship kicks off this weekend. It is a category full of optimism, and full of talent (Mark Webber has been the highest profile F1 driver to jump ship). It boasts a British world champion in Anthony Davidson. The cars are space age, and the racing is pure.
In a parallel universe, Button will be on that grid. When it became clear last term that McLaren were dragging their heels over choosing two drivers, the big beats of the sports car world lined up to secure the 2009 champion’s signature. With Audi, Porsche, or Toyota, he could have been the poster boy of a series on the up. Admittedly, he would struggle to command his current £8 million salary, but it is not like Button is counting his last pennies.
Instead, he will line up in Shanghai with a team that did not want to keep him – McLaren’s entire racing management saw their preference to drop Button overturned by the board – in a car which, for now at least, is a no hoper. He may not even keep his drive for 2016, if he wants it. The euphoria of his retention last December is a distant memory.
It speaks to a wider inability among sportsmen to simply let go. Michael Schumacher, the seven-time champion, came back in 2010, struggling along for three seasons. It ended up being a totally unnecessary, self-inflicted blow to his reputation. Jimmy Connors ploughed on into his forties despite plummeting down the rankings. He may well win the Masters, and prove all the doubters wrong, but Tiger Woods has been equally guilty of lingering at the door.
Button is clearly suffering from such an affliction. He is a world champion, with nothing more to prove. But more importantly, there seems to be nothing more to be gained by sticking around in F1, with the McLaren-Honda pairing possibly years from success.
Dennis should be grateful they were unsuccessful in their bid to oust Button at the end of last year. For now, the 35-year-old will simply soldier on, taking heed of Eric Idle’s famous line – “Cheer up ya old b—–, c’mon give us a grin!” – all the while.