Jenson Button finally reveals the name of the teammate he says destroyed every bit of team spirit, made mechanics miserable, and turned race weekends into nightmares – and no, it’s not Verstappen, but someone still racing today, with a reputation that might never recover after this.
Max Verstappen has developed a reputation as a career destroyer. Most of the drivers who take on the four-time world champion come away with their reputation significantly damaged.
Daniel Ricciardo was competitive against the young Dutchman, but replacement Pierre Gasly was demoted back to the sister team after just half a season. Alex Albon would then last 18 months, only to drop off the grid altogether.
Sergio Perez survived next to Verstappen for four seasons, but he too found himself out of F1 afterwards. And Liam Lawson is fighting for his future after a disastrous two-race stint next to the world champion.
What’s more, Yuki Tsunoda has an ‘almost 0% chance’ of making the 2026 grid after failing to offer a meaningful upgrade. Despite this long line of casualties, 2009 world champion Jenson Button picked one of Verstappen’s rivals as the ‘worst’ teammate.
Jenson Button says unflappable Oscar Piastri would be the ‘worst teammate to have’
Speaking on the F1 Show at the British Grand Prix, Button praised Oscar Piastri for his resilience. He hasn’t gone three races without a win all season.
Lando Norris trimmed his championship lead to 15 points by prevailing in a hard-fought battle in Austria last time out. But Button is certain that Piastri won’t be rattled.
Any attempt to play psychological games wouldn’t work on the Australian, he says. Piastri is widely regarded as the calmest driver on the grid.
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“With Oscar, he just comes back stronger when he has a tough weekend,” Button explained. “He’s so calm. For me, Oscar would be the worst teammate to have because you can’t rattle him. It’s really tough.
“But then Lando’s extremely quick, so they have their strengths and weaknesses.”
McLaren star Lando Norris agrees with Jenson Button about Oscar Piastri
David Coulthard feels Norris is quicker than Piastri over a single lap. He trails this year’s qualifying battle 6-5, or 8-5 including Sprints.
But Norris has recently benefited from a McLaren upgrade designed to combat the slight numbness at the front of the car. Based on his emphatic Austria pole lap – his margin was the biggest of the season – he could now show his true pace.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean Piastri is in trouble. He himself has shown very few weaknesses, if any, this year.
Norris says Piastri has reached the ‘highest level’ of composure, which could be a difference-making attribute as the two drivers deal with the pressure of their first F1 title fight.
