McLaren engineer says 50-podium F1 star was the ‘smoothest driver in the world’

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There have been many drivers that have impressed with their specific traits over the years, whether it is Lewis Hamilton’s smooth in-fast out approach to corners or Max Verstappen’s pointy front end.

One of the drivers that always stood out was Jenson Button, whose smooth style enabled him to coax the most out of the delicate Pirelli tyres while also being fast in wet conditions.

Button’s most impressive win came at the 2010 Australian Grand Prix when he pitted several laps earlier than everyone else on what looked like a dry track but ended up being exactly the right time to switch to dry tyres from intermediates.

The call won him the race, arguably with a little help from Sebastian Vettel whose car suffered a brake failure while leading the race.

The key to Button’s success was his exceptionally smooth driving, enabling him to put in measured steering angles and progress through a corner without any aggressiveness.

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Discussing his driving style on the latest Beyond the Grid podcast, McLaren engineer Tom Stallard said Button was the ‘smoothest driver’ he has worked with in F1.

Jenson Button ‘drove like a duck’ to keep car balanced

Button was known for being a driver who could work his feet harder than most, modulating his car’s brake and throttle pedals rapidly to maximise his cornering speed.

Stallard said this treat effectively made him drive the car like ‘a duck’ to be as smooth as possible behind the wheel.

“Jenson Button, everyone always said, was the smoothest driver in the world because they couldn’t see what his feet were doing,” said Stallard.

“He drove like a duck and his feet under the surface of the water were doing all kinds of things to keep the car balanced such that he could be smooth with his hands.”

Jenson Button pinpoints moment he knew he had to retire from F1

Button had more than 15 years of experience in F1 when he stepped away from his McLaren seat at the end of the 2016 season.

The latter years of his career were spent at McLaren where he struggled to finish regularly in the top 10 places, owing to the problems the team faced with their Honda engines.

The attraction of fighting over places outside the top 10 effectively led to Button calling time on his career, having achieved his dream of being World Champion in the 2009 season.