Button and
Rubens Barrichello have the talent to win races, I think that's pretty well accepted. Don't ask about world championships, that's something else altogether. But, when you distil it all down, don't blame the drivers. Team principal Nick Fry is right on this point, no doubt in my mind. And, as for
McLaren's assertion that GP2 man-of-the-moment
Lewis Hamilton might win a GP before Button, while I agree that it's theoretically possible, I think such an optimistic hypothesis is far from certain.
In any event, as
Fernando Alonso sprayed the champagne and
Jenson Button licked his wounds in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's race at
Silverstone, a slightly built, blond haired young man - who might be the real next big star - slipped out of the back door of the
Renault pit garage and strolled away into the crowd.
This time next year, it is unlikely that
Heikki Kovalainen will be permitted such relaxed anonymity. My money is on him getting one of the vacant Renault seats next season. Button and Lewis Hamilton may find they have their work seriously cut out handling this kid. We might be looking in the wrong direction to find
F1's next super-star.
