Jenson Button hasn’t been on the Formula 1 grid as a driver for some time now but still casts his eye across the action as a pundit.
He’s a former world champion and knows what it takes to succeed in F1 after spending 17 full seasons racing some of the fastest drivers in motorsport.
Jenson Button was speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast and was full of praise for one of his former rivals who’s still on the grid.
F1 teams appear to have a habit right now of sticking with the drivers they’ve already got rather than offering opportunities to rookies.
It’s a decision that Eddie Jordan has described as ‘scandalous’ however, there are a few youngsters who could be on the grid next year.
The likes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman are the most likely candidates and they’ll be up against some of the best drivers in Formula 1 history.
One of those is veteran Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button has admitted that he’s been blown away by his talent again this season.
The 42-year-old has been racing in F1 for more years than Antonelli or Bearman have been alive.
The challenge of facing someone with that level of experience – whether you’re in equal machinery or not – is daunting, to say the least.
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Jenson Button hails Fernando Alonso’s ‘exceptional talent’
The 2024 driver’s market was always going to be really interesting and one of the key players was expected to be Fernando Alonso.
At 42, he was seen as a potential stop-gap for any team lining up a young driver or waiting for another star’s contract to end ahead of the new regulations coming in 2026.
However, he’s shown that his powers once again haven’t waned over the winter and unsurprisingly Aston Martin were desperate to sign him up to a new contract.
He put pen to paper after the Japanese Grand Prix in a race where he showed all of his tactical nous.
Alonso kept Oscar Piastri within a second at just the right moments on the track to prevent the fast-approaching George Russell from overtaking him.
The Australian made a small mistake under pressure on the final lap but by then it was too late for Alonso to be caught.
Jenson Button has hailed Alonso’s talent and admitted he couldn’t have continued to race in F1 at this stage of his career like the Spaniard.
In fact, Alonso shows no signs of slowing down and will be in his mid-40s if he hangs up his racing gloves at the end of his new contract.
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Fernando Alonso continues to prove doubters wrong in F1
Asked how impressed he is by what Alonso is doing in Formula 1, Button said: “I mean he’s an exceptional talent, I’ve raced against him since the karting days so I know how good he is.
“Not just his skills and racecraft on track but his approach to racing off the track as well.
“Some probably wouldn’t agree with but I think he puts everything into his racing and he’s driving something every day.
“He posts pictures of him driving go-karts, there’s a DTM car he drove the other day which I think he has at his school.
“So, yeah he’s non-stop driving and it feels like he’s giving everything to this sport which is great to see.
“I had so many years in F1 but it was time for me to leave. Even the best job in the world you get tired of it at some point.
“He doesn’t seem to be which is amazing, and I think having his two years away, racing in other categories, winning Le Mans, I think he realised that F1 is still the pinnacle and he wanted to go back in and prove his worth, which he’s done.
“Now, he’s just racing because he loves it and it’s amazing to see his dedication.”
Formula 1 paddock full of praise for Fernando Alonso
Jenson Button isn’t the only person admiring Fernando Alonso’s talent this season.
Sergio Perez’s father Antonio has suggested that Alonso is in the best moment of his career.
McLaren team principal Zak Brown recently admitted that he would have the 42-year-old in his car.
Former Red Bull driver Christian Klien has also said that Alonso is driving at an ‘insane level’ in 2024. It will be interesting to see what Alonso can do in Miami after finishing on the podium in Florida last year.