Button: "I had to work so hard to beat him"

In their time together at McLaren, the two Brits were very close. Twice Hamilton was the highest ranking in the championship, once it was Button. In addition, Button won 8 victories and 25 podium places while Hamilton took 10 victories and 22 podium places.

However, the world champion of 2009 said that it was not easy. "I had to work so hard to beat him, and obviously it didn’t happen all the time. But it happened enough that I was happy with what I achieved. On balance he out-qualified me, but I could race him". Button thinks Hamilton is now an even better driver. "Lewis has learnt a lot since then. He’s always looking after the tyres, the fuel, the car… he knows what he’s doing."

Pronounced driver

Button also takes up Hamilton's profile this year, with clear statements about diversity and discrimination. "He’s in a position now where he can relax and think about other things in addition to driving the car. He can be very outspoken and I think it’s great that he is. It will help the sport and the diversity of the sport.”

Neat Hamilton

According to Button, the fact that Hamilton does not just find supporters with this does not matter. "Whether or not you’re a fan of Lewis as a person, you should definitely be a fan of him as a driver. He is exceptionally talented, and he does not play games. He will never play dirty. In fact, I think he’s the cleanest guy I ever raced against."