No-one likes a bad loser, but the Brits seem to have a wonderful knack of being bad winners. And bad losers. Y’know, because they always lose at stuff. I have maintained for many years now England will never win another FIFA World Cup™ because they’re all atheists. “God is a Brazilian” after all, but not when it comes to F1 it seems. Poor Rubens Barrichello. It’s like his house always burns down when he has a braai in his own backyard.
Button. Probably supports Chelsea.
But I guess we should grudgingly give Jenson Button some measure of kudos for wrapping up the world title. However it spoke volumes for me about the man’s character when he was stuck behind Kamui Kobayashi for lap after excruciating lap. Button got on the team radio and complained about Kobayashi weaving and blocking him. Please. It was his Grand Prix debut and as a World Champion elect it’s your job to get past him. Kobayashi drove defensively and legally, although his honour was called into question later on when he swerved dangerously in front of Kazuki Nakajima sending him on a murder ride into the barriers.
I loved the typically stoic response to Button’s petulant rant at Kobayashi from the pitwall. “Understood Jenson” was all Andrew Shovlin had to say. Even he knew JB was a man panicked and on the edge. But he got past the rookie’s Toyota eventually and made some daring moves earlier in the race to fight his way into contention. The Brits like their champions plucky and “bulldoggish” -remember how Mansell used to always affect a knackered swoon on the podium?- and Button certainly was that.
When he crossed the line as World Champion however and sang “We are the champions” over the radio he was bitching on earlier, I cringed. In fact, I don’t think I’ve cringed like that since David Brent did “some MC Hammer shit” in his notorious dance off in The Office. At least Ricky Gervais was only acting like a clueless egoist in a corporate vacuum.
Gavin Williams
So that's how many races you won before this season. Button.
And just in case you really have to watch that dance:
And as for Jarno Trulli…more on him tomorrow.
Tags: 2009, barriers, brazil, button, crash, david brent, f1, FIA, kobayashi, nakajima, pit radio, sao paolo, shovlin, singing, weaving, world champion
