Button backs tougher F1 cars but rejects calls for real danger
Jenson Button says Formula One needs cars that are harder to drive and faster in corners, but insists safety standards must not be compromised.
Jenson Button has said Formula One should focus on making cars more challenging to drive and faster through corners, but stopped short of supporting calls to make the sport genuinely more dangerous. Button’s comments came after Niki Lauda and Kimi Raikkonen argued that F1 had become too safe and predictable, and needed to recapture some of its old edge to win back fans.
Button, then the most experienced driver on the grid, told Auto Hebdo that while he understands the sentiment behind calls for more danger, he would not use that word himself. “No one wants, for example, to make the tracks less safe, but we have to make the cars more difficult to drive, and hopefully we can make them faster in the corners,” he said.
The debate was triggered by comments from Lauda and Raikkonen, who both argued that F1’s appeal had faded as the sport became more controlled and mistakes rarer. Button agreed that much of the criticism of modern F1 was justified, pointing out that fans are not satisfied when even the drivers are unhappy with the direction of the sport.
Fan survey highlights appetite for spectacle
In response to falling engagement, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) launched a global fan survey that drew more than 200,000 responses from 194 countries. Fans called for more drama, including the return of a tyre war and in-race refuelling, but both ideas were rejected by teams. Former driver David Coulthard likened the process to a chef asking diners what they want, then cooking whatever he likes anyway.
The survey also revealed that fans gravitated towards experienced, individualistic drivers. Kimi Raikkonen topped the poll, followed by Button and Fernando Alonso. Jacques Villeneuve saw this as a sign that the sport’s move towards ever-younger drivers was out of step with what the audience wanted.
Drivers and fans want more risk, not less safety
Button’s stance reflects a wider feeling in the paddock that F1 needs to be more demanding for drivers, but not at the cost of safety. He argued that making the cars harder to handle and increasing cornering speeds would raise the spectacle without reverting to the dangers of the past. Damon Hill, however, questioned whether relying on surveys and popularity was the right way to set the sport’s direction, warning that chasing approval could leave F1 going in circles.
The discussion around danger and spectacle in F1 continues, with both drivers and fans pushing for a formula that rewards skill and character, but without risking the hard-won safety gains of recent decades.
