BATTLE OF THE BRITS; FORMULA 1 WHO WILL COME OUT ON TOP BETWEEN HAMILTON & BUTTON?

Byline: BYRON YOUNG

JENSON BUTTON is making the biggest mistake of his career, claims Grand Prix legend Sir Jackie Stewart.

Yesterday 29-year-old world champion Button elected to leave Brawn following their takeover by Mercedes and join McLaren, where he will team up with the previous season's title winner Lewis Hamilton.

But while British motorsport may be on the brink of the greatest season in its history, three-time champion Stewart believes the price for Button may be too high.

Stewart admits that while Button has put himself in the best position to achieve one of the few things neither he, nor any other British driver, ever did - win back-to-back titles - he will have to see off Hamilton first.

"It's a mistake by Jenson," declared Stewart. "If he had a choice he should have stayed with Brawn because he knows the culture and that gives him the best chance in the longer term.

"If Mercedes didn't want Jenson that's a different matter. Then clearly the best option is McLaren.

"The downside is that he's entering the lion's den. Mr Hamilton is well-established there. He knows the culture, the engineers, the mechanics and has been there for three years. Therefore it's his shop. Coming in to deal with that new culture is a challenge for Jenson.

"It won't be an easy one particularly as world champion. It might be quite tough for him.

"It's a coup for McLaren to have two British drivers and back-to-back world champions - but it is not always the easiest thing to make work. It has happened before with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna at McLaren, but the acrimony there was something that as a team owner I would not enjoy. If they can work with that it'll be terrific.

"Next year McLaren will unquestionably have a very good car because they did poorly in the early part of this season and then came on very strong at the end.

"It's great to have two British drivers in same team. I hope they get along. But when you get on the racetrack you think about your own performance and you have to be quite selfish." Stewart believes logistically the cards are stacked against Button because he will have to get to know a whole new group of people, a new car, new steering wheel, new devices and new methods of working - all at 200mph. And he can be sure that as much as the rivalry, in public at least, will be conducted with an air of bonhomie, Hamilton will not give an inch. Ever.

Not in team debriefs, technical meetings, car development, not on the first corner in Bahrain nor the last one in Brazil.

The crucial factor for Stewart is not the talent shared by the two men. It is Button's awesome task of learning a new environment, people, attitudes, lines of communication, machinery and management structure. And doing it in the heat of battle where success or failure can be one thousandth of a second.

Button has fresh experience of that because it took a simple change of brake material last June to turn Rubens Barrichello, his trusty number No.2, from a disgruntled team-mate into a potent title contender

"Lewis will have a better backup team, he knows them well, they know him and he knows what to do and how to do it," added Stewart. "For Jenson it's beneficial financially and he is in a top racing team. It's good for Britain and British motor sport."

HOW MANY GRAND PRIX WILL JENSON BUTTON WIN IN 2010? 3-1 None, 11-4 One, 5-2 Two, 6-1 Three, 8-1 Four, 12-1 Five, 16-1 Six, 25-1 Seven, 33-1 Eight, 40-1 Nine, 66-1 Ten or more

HOW MANY GRAND PRIX WILL LEWIS HAMILTON WIN IN 2010? 7-1 None, 6-1 One, 5-1 Two, 11-2 Three, 4-1 Four, 4-1 Five, 8-1 Six, 10-1 Seven, 16-1 Eight, 25-1 Nine, 33-1

Ten or more Freephone: 0800 289 892

CAPTION(S):

WARNING F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart CHAMPIONS IN LEAGUE Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button will be team-mates next season