Jenson Button has reflected on Honda’s difficult Formula 1 period in 2007 and 2008, describing Ross Brawn’s arrival as the turning point that gave the team hope after a disastrous season.
Speaking on the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast with Tom Clarkson, the 2009 world champion looked back at the dramatic decline Honda suffered after his first Formula 1 victory at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Button said Honda entered the 2007 season with high expectations, but the campaign quickly became a major disappointment. Instead of building on the momentum from its 2006 race win, the team fell backwards and struggled to score points.
The Briton said the situation was made even more painful by the performance of Super Aguri, Honda’s junior team. According to Button, Super Aguri was using Honda’s 2006 car, the same package that had won a race, while the works Honda team was left with a car that could not regularly challenge for points.
Button said the atmosphere began to shift when Ross Brawn joined the team at the end of 2007. For Button, Brawn’s arrival immediately created the feeling that Honda’s struggles could be reversed.
He recalled that the announcement was made in front of the whole factory, with many staff members unaware that Brawn was about to join. Button said Brawn’s presence alone gave the team an instant lift and made him feel like the figure who could save Honda from the damage of the 2007 season.
Button credited Brawn not only for his reputation, but also for his leadership style and understanding of how a Formula 1 team should operate. He said Brawn helped remove a blame culture inside the team and encouraged people to work more freely.
According to Button, that freedom allowed staff to propose bold ideas, even if not all of them worked. He argued that taking risks was essential for a team trying to return to the front of the grid.
Button said the atmosphere under Brawn became much more positive, giving Honda the direction it had lacked during its difficult 2007 campaign.
