“Giving his opinion on what he’s been seeing” – Nicholas Latifi has highlighted how Jenson Button is making his presence felt with the team despite limited exposure in lieu of Covid protocols.
Former world champion Jenson Button joined his old team Williams as senior advisor last season, in a bid to arrest the slump the British team had been undergoing over the previous few seasons.
Despite limited contactability due to Covid restrictions, Button has had a positive influence on the outfit, with Williams finishing P8, ahead of Alfa Romeo and Haas.
Nicholas Latifi vouches for the influence of Jenson Button, as he too had a decent campaign, despite being largely overshadowed by George Russell.
“Since Jenson joined, he’s been a great asset to the team.
“Obviously earlier, with Covid still an issue he wasn’t in the factory so much but he obviously has a wealth of experience in the sport and a unique perspective as a driver, which is good for me personally.
“Even his old race engineer [Dave Robson] is with our team as well so we have a relationship.”
A special birthday message from @alex_albon to @jensonbutton from the cockpit of Jenson’s FW22…😆 pic.twitter.com/oFhHNDnh1Z
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) January 19, 2022
Jenson Button eager for a stronger presence this season
Latifi is eager for more involvement from Button on the paddock and the factory, with his conversations with the racers limited to occasional bumping on the circuit, or virtual calls.
“Just from working with the team from that side, I see him talking to the engineers and giving his opinion on what he’s been seeing, which I’m sure is valuable to them.
“I guess from the personal side, I’m still very new to Formula 1. He’s given me little words of wisdom on starting out, good approaches, bad approaches and whatnot.
“Just the odd little bits of encouragement after qualifying or after the race if I manage to bump into him.”
