ON LAP 37 of last year's rain-soaked British Grand Prix, Jenson Button was the fastest man on the track. No-one noticed. He was, after all, in 10th place, almost a lap behind Lewis Hamilton. One lap later, Button was climbing from a car he had beached in the gravel trap as Hamilton continued serenely towards victory - and ultimately a world championship. The contrast in fortunes between the two Brits at their home grand prix could hardly have been starker. The same applies to their prospects one year on - except the names have been transposed.
Button has won six of the season's first seven races and arrives at Silverstone next week with a 26-point lead in the world championship. Hamilton is 52 points behind and may start his home race from somewhere near the back.
The respective seasons of Button and Hamilton this year have brought home the point that without a good car, even the most brilliant performer has no chance. Put a good driver into a good car and success is inevitable. In 2007, Hamilton graduated to F1 with a McLaren that Button knew from winter testing was around two seconds per lap quicker than his dire Honda. "You think, 'you lucky git'," admitted Button, "but he did a great job. Of course I was jealous, not because he was an English driver, but because he was world champion, something which I've been wanting to achieve."
Even Hamilton knew how fortunate he was, and how Button's form in no way represented his ability. "When I'd just started in karting," said Hamilton, "Jenson was in the higher categories winning everything. He was the guy we all wanted to be." By 2000 Hamilton had reached the upper echelons of karting himself while Button was making his F1 debut for the Williams team. The car was a points-scorer rather than a race winner.
There were pockets of the F1 paddock unconvinced of his potential, their prejudices heightened by a playboy image. Some of his detractors were high profile, such as McLaren's Ron Dennis. "There have been negative comments in the past," accepted Button. "Some of them I deserved for sure, earlier in my career when maybe I wasn't concentrating on the important parts of the job, but a few of them I don't think I did deserve. There's no point saying, 'Look what I can do'. I've done that by standing top of the podium."
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It would be fair to say F1 is now convinced. Rubens Barrichello, who spent six years as Michael Schumacher's teammate at Ferrari and is now in his fourth season alongside Button, said: "Jenson is an incredible driver. I would say as fast and talented as Michael, but maybe not quite as consistent. "
The inconsistency Barrichello talks of is probably a reference to how he got more than Button from the uncompetitive Honda. Button's former karting rival and sometime F1 driver, Anthony Davidson, recognises the pattern. "I've been competing against Jenson since we were eight and this is just so typically him," he said. "Give him uncompetitive machinery and he gets down. But give him potential race-winning kit and he moves up to a different level. He loves winning and is totally relaxed about it. Lewis loves winning, too, but you saw in the last two years how the pressure gets to him. That would not happen to Jenson. Some still aren't seeing Jenson as someone on Lewis's level. They're wrong."
It gives some insight into how nine years in mediocre machinery must have stung and how only rain allowed Button to show his real ability, just like at Silverstone last year. It was a brief but electrifying reminder of his talent, but understandably overlooked by eyes transfixed at Hamilton's brilliant drive.
Next week the boot is on the other foot. Button starts as clear favourite whatever the conditions, while Hamilton's only hope of demonstrating his ability is rain. Last week, Hamilton was giving rides at a wet Silverstone in a Mercedes sports car for a McLaren media day. Afterwards he said: "We have no chance in the dry. If conditions are like this though, something might be possible."
Drivers' standings
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61pts Jenson Button (Brawn)
35 Rubens Barrichello (Brawn)
29 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
27.5 Mark Webber (Red Bull)
19.5 Jarno Trulli (Toyota)
13 Timo Glock (Toyota)
11.5 Nico Rosberg (Williams)
11 Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Fernando Alonso (Renault)
9 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
6 Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber)