04/01/2022
NEWS STORY
Brought in by Williams as a "senior advisor" in a multi-year agreement, Jenson Button is aiming to spend more time with the Grove outfit's drivers this season.
Just under a year ago, "21 years after first signing with the team as a little-known 20-year-old", Williams announced that it was welcoming back Jenson Button in the capacity of senior advisor in a multi-year agreement.
As part of his role, Button was to "call upon his over 30 years of motorsport experience" to provide advice and guidance to the team, along with "helping support and develop both race and academy drivers".
Throughout the 2021 season, he would attend a number of Grands Prix with the team alongside taking part in some team events in the UK, whilst also supporting Williams' media and marketing activities.
Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic and the necessary restrictions that were in place, meant that Button wasn't able to work as closely with the team as originally intended.
However, this time around, he hopes the situation has changed.
"I've spent a bit of time at the factory and obviously at the races where I'm there as well," said the 2009 world champion.
"It's basically just being a soundboard for certain people in the team," he added. "I spent a lot of time with Dave Robson, the chief engineer there, and Jost Capito, and also the marketing team.
"I haven't spent so much time with the drivers in 2021," he admits, "basically because I've not been able to go in the engineering room, so I've not been able to go into the garage, because of the bubbles.
"It's not been the easiest year really," he adds. "I've only just been allowed in the sort of catering area, the hospitality area of the team, and that's where I can actually spend time with the engineers and Jost.
"It's been good, but it's definitely been limited, which is a shame for both sides. But I will be doing a lot more with them in the new year.
"It's a great team," he continues, "they've got a good team of people, and I will be spending a lot more time with them, with the drivers, with the Young Driver Programme. They've got some good young drivers on the list now.
"I will be spending a bit of time in the simulator room as well with the guys," he revealed. "Not driving, I wish I was, but to see how they go about their racing, if you like, and go about how they work with the team.
"That's really where my strength was in racing, it was the team work. And I definitely bring a lot of experience in that area."
Indeed, making his debut in 2000, after one season with Williams, Button joined Benetton which then morphed into Renault. He then began a seven-year stint at Brackley, initially with BAR, then Honda and finally Brawn, with whom he won the title in 2009.
In 2010 he joined McLaren, where he partnered Lewis Hamilton, finally retiring in 2017 as the McLaren-Honda experiment took its toll.