By Dick Mittman
indy500.com
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Jenson Button and Sam Hornish Jr. exploded onto the major-league racing scene as 20-year-old drivers in the year 2000. Button joined the BMW Williams Formula One team and Hornish the PDM Indy Racing League team.
The spotlight has focused hotly on both ever since.
American Hornish moved to the Pennzoil Panther Racing team and has become a superstar of American oval racing, winning 11 races and now is in hot pursuit of his third straight IndyCar™ Series championship.
On Sept. 21 at California Speedway, Hornish averaged 207.151 mph in the Toyota Indy 400 to win the fastest race in motor racing history.
Englishman Button came out of the gate strong in 2000, starting third at Belgium, finishing fourth at Germany and placing eighth in the standings. He then moved to the Mild Seven Benetton Renault team for the next two seasons, slipping to 17th in standings in 2001 before rebounding to seventh last season. He switched teams yet again for this season to Lucky Strike BAR Honda and is 10th in the standings with 12 points.
On Sept. 28, Button drives in his fourth United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hornish drove in his fourth Indianapolis 500 in May.
Neither has enjoyed much success at the most famous racetrack in the world.
Hornish has produced finishes in the Indianapolis 500 of 24th, 14th, 25th and 15th and is switching next season to Penske Racing, the Ferrari of oval-track competition, with hopes of winning the big race.
Button failed to finish his first USGP and placed ninth and eighth in his other two Indianapolis appearances but sees 2004 as the year he can seriously challenge for the World Championship against Ferrari, Williams and McLaren.
In the meantime, Button's main goal this weekend is to go for a solid finish and protect his position in the top 10.
"This year it's very important for us to be in front of Jaguar and Toyota," he said, "because they're our main contenders for the fifth spot in the (Constructors) championship.
"Personally, I would like to be in the top five at Indianapolis. I think that is an aim, and I think that we need to be scoring points. Good points, not just picking up the last point.
"We've been a little bit unlucky over the last couple of races, but I think we can actually finish in fifth position or maybe sixth, or whatever. But I think we're looking very strong."
Button said it is difficult in the short term to compete in race after race knowing he will not be in the hunt for victory. But he sees a bright light for the future. Earlier in the week, he visited the BAR factory in England and viewed the Honda-powered car that he thinks will put him up with the three F1 giants, Ferrari, Williams and McLaren.
"It can be a little bit frustrating because (like) all of the Formula One drivers, we want to win," he said.
"We want to be the best driver in the world, and that's sort of our dream. So it is a little bit frustrating, but then again, you need to work on it. Some people get into a winning car, and they win races that way. Other people actually work with the team to progress, and that's what we're doing. And I think it's possibly the best way to do it."
David Richards is team principal of BAR. Twenty years ago, he beat Jean Todt, who is Ferrari's team principal, to win the World Rally Championship as a co-driver. Now he wants to beat him outside of the cockpit in the world's highest level of racing.
Richards admits he has to be realistic that the team hasn't reached the status of Ferrari. He added he admires what Todt has accomplished directing the racing efforts of the famed Prancing Horse factory of Maranello, Italy.
"When Jean went to Formula One in Ferrari, he took on a colossal challenge, and I remember spending a few moments with him during those years," Richards said. "I think it was five years, or four years certainly, before he hit any real success there. He's someone I admire for his tenacity and the way he's gone about it.
"How long he's going to stay there, I'm not quite sure, but I hope he's there when we've got our team up there running at the front and we can challenge together."
Has Richards got the same determination to stay the distance?
"I've got that tenacity, I can assure you," he said.
Button sees it in the work that is going into constructing the 2004 car, especially the wind-tunnel work.
"Everyone is very optimistic," he said. "So the next two races are very important, but I think next year's car is very different, and we're looking forward to it."
Button said he has found racing on the banking at the Speedway as his favorite part of the 2.605-mile road course because banked turns are not part of any other F1 circuit.
"It's a great feeling," he said.
Another thing he likes about Indy is the crowd, the largest of any of the F1 races around the world.
"The first time I came to Indianapolis, it was the most amazing feeling because the stands are just huge compared to a lot of the stands in Europe," he said. "And going down to the first corner, I mean you're obviously concentrating on your driving, but all you could see was flashing lights from cameras. So it was a pretty amazing feeling, and it was great to see so many people there enjoying the sport."
Now the most intriguing question for those fans is which of these young driving phenoms - Button or Hornish - is going to win at Indy first? It's certainly an interesting subject for conjecture in 2004 since the Indianapolis 500 (May 30) and USGP (June 20) will be only 21 days apart. Get your tickets. ***
Saturday schedule changes: Minor changes have been made to the Formula One schedule for the United States Grand Prix on Saturday, Sept. 27 to better accommodate worldwide television viewers. Formula One free practice sessions will take place from 8-8:45 a.m. and 9:15-10 a.m. Saturday, one hour earlier than previously scheduled. The qualifying warm-up will take place from 12:30-12:45 p.m., with the second, single-lap qualifying session from 1-2 p.m., both sessions one hour earlier than previously scheduled. ***
Tickets: Tickets for the United States Grand Prix can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com, or by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area. Parking and camping information also can be obtained through the ticket office.
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