(Motorsport-Total.com) – Jenson Button speaks openly in the “Beyond The Grid” podcast about how mentally demanding Formula 1 is for its drivers. After all, the winning rate of the world’s best pilots is comparatively low.
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“In Formula 1, I have competed in 300 Grand Prix races and was able to win 15 of them,” said the 2009 world champion. “That means: I lost 285 races.”
Such rates are no comparison to the winning streaks with which Verstappens, Leclercs, or Hamiltons grow up from karting.
The highest winning rate in Formula 1 history is held by Juan Manuel Fangio. After all, the five-time champion managed to win about 47 percent of his race participations in the Formula 1 World Championship.
In the podcast, Button describes that not least the calm nature of Ross Brawn helped him immensely: “I think his calm manner was really important on bad days,” said the former Brawn driver.
“I believe no one can make you a better racing driver. It is up to you alone to conquer your demons. People can listen, and I think then you as a boss have to do that too. Listen to your driver, but don’t be too opinionated.”
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The Briton’s world championship title is a prime example of the psychological pitfalls of Formula 1. Six of the first seven season races went to Button, while the second half of the season almost turned into a fiasco. Constant
speculation about whether the later McLaren driver was really up to the pressure did not make the situation easier for Button. Nevertheless, the crown went to the current Sky expert at the end of 2009.
“In the end, it’s about losing more than you win. Last year, I talked with Roger Federer about sports and the mental strain involved. He said to me: ‘Well, you would think I am the most successful tennis player of all time. But I have lost 75 percent of my matches, and that is a really good rate.'”
The same rule also applies, as Button emphasizes, to the seven-time champion at Ferrari: “What Lewis Hamilton has achieved is extraordinary, but he has still lost more than he has won. And that’s why in every sport where you lose more than you win, it’s mentally damn difficult.”
By the way, the Briton’s estimate is not quite correct. Instead of 300, Button has raced 309 races in Formula 1 in his career. Accordingly, he has not lost 285 races, but 294.
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