Button must rid himself of complacency, says Mansell
NIGEL MANSELL has warned the misfiring Jenson Button to keep his composure if he wants to become Britain’s second successive Formula 1 world champion.
The Brawn driver remains on course to follow in the footsteps of fellow countryman, and last season’s winner Lewis Hamilton, holding a 16-point advantage with five races remaining.
But after going five races without a win, Mansell, another former British world champion, believes Button is in real danger of cruelly missing out on the title after falling foul to complacency.
“I think he needs to shake himself up a bit,” said Mansell, speaking ahead of this Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
“He has gone off the boil in recent races for whatever reason and at the moment you would have to say that he is being outdriven by his team-mate.”
Six wins in the first seven races saw the 29-year-old race into an early championship lead, but a poor run of form has seen the wheels come off Button’s title chase slightly in recent weeks.
The Brit now faces stern competition from Brawn team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who, after winning the European Grand Prix in Valencia, looks set to race his partner all the way to the finish at this season’s finale in Abu Dhabi.
“People react to pressure in different ways and we are seeing Jenson under real pressure for the first time now,” added the 1992 world champion.
“When I won the title I thrived on that pressure and it made me stronger, and I was determined not to loosen my grip.
“Jenson needs to get a grip right now because he will never have a better opportunity to be world champion. If he lets this one slip through his fingers, he’ll never forgive himself.”