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Jenson Button appears on the Australian circuit of Albert Park with that English gentleman bearing, the most elegant of the paddock, this time to act as a commentator for Sky Sports and as an ambassador for the Hackett brand and its new spring-summer campaign. "I don't know much about fashion, but I know what I like, what feels good to me, what gives me confidence. In the new collection there is a suit in light tones that I will wear a lot and a green jacket that I love, "says the 43-year-old who was Formula 1 champion in 2009 with Brawn GP and teammate of Fernando Alonso at McLaren Honda in 2015 and 2016. Nobody better to analyze the start of the Spaniard with Aston Martin this season, two consecutive podiums and a radiant horizon.

How far will Fernando Alonso go? I don't know, but it's really exciting, isn't it? For those of us who follow Formula 1 this beginning of the year of Fernando is a joy, we know that every Sunday we have fun assured. After his time at Renault it seemed that in every change of team he was wrong or had no luck. Now he finally has a competitive car and it's great to see. I don't know how far he will go, but it will be fun to follow in his footsteps. How has he endured so long without victories? His greatest virtue has always been not to give up. He never gives up. Because he is very mentally strong and because he loves to run. He is the most passionate driver I know, if he could he would race every Sunday, in Formula 1, in karts, in whatever. For me the overtaking of Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain was a great moment, a very exciting moment, a moment that will be remembered when he retires. Alonso is 41 years old. The age of the pilot no longer matters. If you keep up the mood... Fernando and I belong to the first generation of drivers who since childhood, from karts, crushed themselves in the gym, worked on their reflexes and, in general, took great care of their body with the help of coaches and physiotherapists. Before it was different, so at the age of 30 they already suffered from ailments. Now you can compete at the highest level beyond the age of 40. As long as you keep up the mood, of course. Charlie GrayHackettHow were the years you shared at McLaren? I was lucky that I left my partner at the end of my career, when I already had experience. Fernando is very smart, he knows what works and what doesn't, he knows the strengths and weaknesses of his partner... He was a tough teammate, but in the end we worked pretty well together. It was a shame that we couldn't compete for the victories, for the podiums, but we also had fun moments. I explain, I explainI remember Interlagos in 2015, I would even say that I have the photo somewhere. We both lived a horrible weekend, a very bad qualy, a terrible race, but we passed in front of the podium, got on and took a picture. It was a way to take the iron out of what we were experiencing. Those years the car was not there to compete and all I had was to beat Fernando, it was my motivation in every race. A little bit everything. McLaren blamed Honda, Honda blamed McLaren and there was not the necessary harmony, there was no good atmosphere of collaboration. McLaren is a historic team and Honda has made magnificent engines, but that was not the time to get together. Fernando and I suffered it. Will Red Bull let any wins slip away this year? As the World Cup has started, I am not very optimistic. In the qualys it seems that everyone is more even, but then in the races ... We also have to wait and see what happens in the next three or four circuits. I hope the fight for wins is more open, although the season will be exciting anyway. Behind the Red Bulls there are many candidates for the podium and every Sunday there will be a battle. Charlie GrayHackettLet's say he calls it a team that fights for podiums. Would I go back to Formula 1? It's not my world anymore. Mentally it is very difficult to maintain motivation because of the pressure you put on yourself, because a bad race weighs more than ten good races. It's hard to hold. That's why I said Fernando is very strong. In my last two seasons, so far from the victories and podiums, I lost the desire. In addition Formula 1 has changed. It has changed for the better in many ways, it has more followers all over the world, a lot of attention from young people, a lot of interest from sponsors, but the exposure is much greater. I remember when smartphones arrived; Then we lost privacy. In recent years, it has gone a step further in that direction. With the reality documentary [Netflix's 'Drive to Survive'] there's a camera and microphone around every corner. The races are still interesting, but I don't know if I would adapt. On Sky Sports he seems to really enjoy himself as a commentator. I do. Because I work with very good people, I comment with Crofty [David Croft, the English Antonio Lobato], I am very comfortable. There are even times when I get as excited as when I was driving. It's fun, really. And it also has its part of challenge, it is not only talking, it is explaining to viewers aspects that can be complicated. And he hasn't stopped competing yet. No, really. Now I live in Los Angeles, where I met my wife [model Brittny Ward] and my children [Hendrix and Lenny] were born, and there I had the opportunity to race in Nascar. This year I will be running three races and I would like to do more in the future, but first I need to learn how to race on ovals. I even think about playing a whole season because the atmosphere is fantastic, I can be in the paddock with my family. Kimi Raikkonen is also running and it's fun to meet again.



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  • Jenson Button
  • Fernando Alonso
  • Articles Javier Sánchez