Button insists Alonso is wrong on F1 entertainment factor

KUALA LUMPUR - Reigning Formula One champion Jenson Button has slammed claims made by Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso that fans should turn to other sports if they want to see overtaking.

“Yes, we are driving missiles, but I disagree that there hasn’t been any overtaking for 20 years. Last year there was quite a bit. For me there is overtaking in the sport,” The Mirror quoted Button, as saying.

“If there was overtaking at every corner we would find it boring. t wouldn’t mean so much to us. NASCAR is a very different sport. You are racing on an oval, there is lots of overtaking, but you don’t get a buzz when you see a move,” he added.

The 30-year-old further said that F1 was about precision and the technological challenge of controlling the fastest race cars on Earth.

“In F1 when you do see a move you really respect it as you know it is difficult to do. I think we had a good balance last year. It is not easy and maybe if we had less downforce and more mechanical grip we’d see more overtaking but it is not for me to make that decision,” Button said.

“I really enjoyed the overtaking last year and a lot of people were making good moves. There were a lot in Melbourne. I am not sure it had been just because of the rain, but here I think we will see overtaking. There are three or four places you can overtaking here,” he added.

Earlier, Alonso had said that F1 may not be the perfect sport to see overtaking, as there has not been any real overtaking in the sport for 20 years.

“There has been no overtaking for 20 years so it is not because of new rules. This is about watching the maximum-performance cars in the world, drivers enjoying racing and risking their lives in the car to put on a good show,” Alonso said.

“I don’t think that in 2003, 04, 05 or 06 we saw much overtaking, but we enjoyed those championships. And last year was a fantastic championship and I don’t think we saw many overtaking moves, not many,” he added. (ANI)