20/04/2010
NEWS STORY
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Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton make no secret of their all-time F1 heroes, the 2009 champion naming Alain Prost and the 2008 champ citing Ayrton Senna. As the season progresses, the similarities between the McLaren duo and their heroes is uncanny.
Prost, the Professor, had his own ultra-smooth style, often not very exciting to watch but it produced results, namely four world championship titles. Senna, on the other hand, was an all-out racer, a fighter to the last who took no prisoners.
As the 2010 season gathers momentum, Button's Prost-like performances have helped him win two races, thereby giving him the world championship lead, while Hamilton, despite his derring-do and spectacular manoeuvres, is fourth, 21 points adrift of his teammate and still waiting on that morale boosting first win of the season.
While the current championship standings contradicts those pundits who thought Button would get "murdered" by his precocious young teammate, others fear that as the season develops the rivalry between the two could also end up emulating that of their heroes, ending in tears as opposed to titles.
Speaking in the wake of the Chinese GP, Hamilton believes there is little chance of that happening, insisting that both are fully aware of what is at stake.
"We both have a great chance of winning the title," he told the Times. "The good thing with me and Jenson is that we clearly want to beat each other but Jenson is very smart and does not have that too aggressive flair in him. Neither of us wants to crash and ruin our chances of winning."
As for the difference in style and tactics, the Englishman said: "I have done it that hard way and Jenson has done it the easy way. To do all that hard racing but you don't have any wins is hard to take, while Jenson has two... which is fantastic. I have had great races but he has made all the right decisions and taken the easier route.
"Three brilliant drives from me but no wins," he continues. "Hopefully, soon I will take the easier route. But I am really happy for Jenson. He did a better job and I am sure that when the tables turn, as they will, it will be the same for me"