Button, heading for the exit, saliently added: “Obviously the manufacturers
hire on merit, but after that it is a case of money talks rather than
skill.”
You only need to ask some of the young guns in the lower categories who cannot
get a drive. Jolyon Palmer, winner of the GP2 championship this year, the
principal feeder series for F1, was struggling to clinch a seat even when
Marussia were on the grid. Alex Lynn, a promising talent in GP3, is backed
by Red Bull but seems to have been overlooked for Toro Rosso, their junior
team.
The fall to 18 cars – which seems to be permanent for next year – has made the
cost of drives at the rear of the grid even more extortionate. With two
drivers already under contract, a desperate Sauber signed two more for a
combined income thought to be around £16 million.
If there is a great weight on Hamilton’s shoulders, he is not showing it. This
rugged but remarkable amphitheatre brings back fond memories of his dramatic
title triumph in 2008, and he has always had a particular affinity with
Senna.
“I remember watching Ayrton win here in 1991 when I was a kid, so it would be
a very special place to win,” Hamilton said last night. “When I was younger
I used to put on this one particular video Racing is in My Blood. I watched
that God knows how many times. He really inspired me as a kid and he still
does today.
“The fact every now and then someone may mention my name in the same sentence
as his, I feel really honoured by that. I come here and I still feel his
presence. It’s amazing he still lives on through his fans and the country.
It’s one of the most special things I’ve ever seen anywhere.”
Hamilton was particularly honoured to meet Senna’s niece. She passed on that
he will be cheered on on Sunday by none other than Ayrton’s mother, Neide,
who is a fan. Since he beat local boy Felipe Massa for the title six years
ago, Brazilian fans – among the most passionate anywhere – have warmed to
him. The feeling is mutual.
The Briton is comfortable here, although not so comfortable that he does not
feel the need to travel around this city without a bodyguard. Making the
45-minute journey from the swanky hotels in Morumbi to the circuit, through
poverty-stricken favelas, he is driven by a security guard he has employed
since 2007. After all, this is where Button was held up at gunpoint in 2010.
Maybe we should start funding bodyguards to protect British drivers’ seats in
F1. Unlike Caterham, that would be a worthwhile investment of fans’ money.
As far as the championship goes, the good money is on Hamilton.