F1 Insider - Button weary of the threat Schumacher poses
by Charles Jay
BetUS Sportsbook Formula One Odds
To Win European Grand Prix
(August 21-23)
Lewis Hamilton +200
Sebastian Vettel +275
Mark Webber +450
JENSON BUTTON +450
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER +1200
Kimi Raikkonen +1200
Nico Rosberg +1400
Heikki Kovalainen +1800
Rubens Barrichello +3000
Jarno Trulli +3500
Timo Glock +3500
Sebastien Buemi +9000
Kazuki Nakajima +10000
Robert Kubica +12500
Nick Heidfeld +12500
Giancarlo Fisichella +20000
Adrian Sutil +20000
Jaime Alguersuari +50000
The man who leads the Formula One drivers' points standings is not taking anything for granted when he goes up against Michael Schumacher in the European Grand Prix, and BetUS F1 motor sports betting commences again on the weekend of August 21-23.
Jenson Button, who is listed at -120 in the odds posted by BetUS for the Formula One world championship, expects that it won't take very long for Schumacher to be very formidable in his KERS-powered Ferrari.
"Ferrari are very lucky because they have someone working in their team who can jump straight into the car and be competitive -- and Michael will be," Button said Thursday.
At the same time, Button acknowledges that this is a "brave" move on Schumacher's part, because it puts the seven-time world champion, who is +1200 at BetUS to win the European Grand Prix, in a virtual no-win situation, saying that "if he wins people will say they expected him too, and if he doesn't, they will say he should not have come back."
Schumacher has won 91 F1 races in his career, but there may not be a tougher contest than the one he will face in Valencia, since his testing in the 2009 Ferrari car will be very limited. As of Friday, Schumacher has been cleared by FOTA to test that car, and awaits word from FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) on the issue. Before Friday's run in a 2007 model, his last test for Scudaria had been in April of 2008. There will be a practice session on August 21 over the Valencia track, which will be an opportunity for Schumacher to ride that new Ferrari if all else fails.
Button, who is +450 at BetUS to win the European Grand Prix, is 18.5 points ahead of his nearest competitor, Mark Webber, in the individual points standings, but he is undoubtedly going through some anxious moments after losing three straight races and finishing seventh in the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest last weekend - all of this after having won six of the first seven races on the F1 schedule.
“In between races there’s nothing you can do," he told the London Daily Telegraph. "I go to bed and think about the races, especially Silverstone, the Nurburgring and Budapest. Having won six of the previous races and then to finish off the podium is horrible."
Button needs to get himself together because he can conceivably lose that lead within a few races. Mark Webber (+225 to win the drivers' title at BetUS) is in second place now, with 51.5 points.
he took a bit of a dig at critics in the Telegraph interview. “There have been times when I haven’t gone as fast as I should or maybe been as focused as I should be and deserved criticism," he said. "But the journalists in F1 betting are very good. They understand how much is the car. It’s the ones who don’t understand the sport......"
He has also noted that his car was simply not built with cooler weather in mind, which he cited for losing two races. In Hungary, there really was no excuse.
Now he also has the most accomplished racer in the history of the sport to deal with on the grid.
Button will be looking forward to the rest of the schedule, hoping he sees Schumacher in his rear view mirror (figuratively speaking) while he gets ready for the London Triathlon, and will also be looking forward to another event in November, with a little less on the line, as he will compete against Schumacher and others in the Race of Champions, to be contested in Beijing.
