Britain: Jenson hopes Bridgestone will deliver

Button Hoping
By pitpass.com (16/07/2003)
July 16 2003

One man hoping for a good result this weekend is local hero Jenson Button. On his British GP debut in 2000, Jenson finished fifth right behind his WilliamsF1 team-mate Ralf Schumacher.

In two seasons with Benetton/Renault the youngster managed fifteenth in 2001 and twelfth last year.

With ten points thus far this season - seven more than his team-mate, 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve - Button is confident that he can add to his points tally this weekend and possibly claim his first ever podium. However if that is to happen Jenson will need the heavens to open and let rip, for if the current heat-wave continues the Bridgestone shod runners will be no match for their Michelin rivals.

"If you look at Ferrari, where they should be with their new car, they are not," he told the Daily Telegraph. "Ferrari are struggling. They were so excited about the new car at the start of the season, but they are being beaten by last year's McLaren. It is a very strange situation.

"It is amazing," he continues. "You can do the best job in every area on the car or the engine, spend as much money as you want, but if you bolt on a set of tyres that don't work, that's it."

Bridgestone is aware of the problem and has been hard at work since the French GP, last week the Japanese manufacturer even took the unusual step of issuing a statement denouncing claims that it was on the verge of pulling out of F1.

Jenson, along with Michael Schumacher, will be hoping that Bridgestone can deliver something special.. whatever the weather.

This article was written by pitpass.com and is used with permission.