"I don't think he's got it" - When Jensen Button recalled his father doubting him during his childhood

Former F1 driver Jenson Button opened up about the time when his father doubted his abilities to race in the higher-level competitions in a popular documentary series about the Brawn GP team that released last year.

In the Brawn GP documentary, Jenson Button shared a glimpse of his past while speaking to narrator Keanu Reeves. He admitted that he had several bad race weekends when he was competing in karting competitions.

At one moment, his father spoke to his stepmother about how Jenson does not have something extra that would set him apart. He shared that his father thought he was sleeping in their van, but he was actually awake and heard the conversation.

Since he was quite young, Jenson Button admitted how hurt he was and instantly became emotional, remembering the moment even after so many years.

"I had a couple of really bad weekends when I was younger," he recalled. "And...my dad was in the front seat of the van that we had at that time with his partner, my stepmum. I was behind them lying down. I think he thought I was asleep. And he said to my stepmum. 'I don't think he's got it. I don't think he's got that extra bit that he needs.'

"And I heard it. I was like...as a 13-year-old, blown away, you know? It hurt, really hurt. It's funny, I get emotional now thinking about the moment."

Of course, the rest was history as Jenson Button moved up the ranks, entered Formula 1, and even won a World Championship with Brawn GP, stunning the entire sport with how great he was with a team that was new to the grid.

---

Jenson Button believes Red Bull could face serious challenge in 2024

Jenson Button reckons Red Bull's rivals could further close the gap in the front in 2024 and challenge the defending world champions. Speaking with Sky Sports last November, he talked about how close the grid currently is and how a tiny mistake can throw drivers several places down the pack.

Button pointed out how McLaren and Mercedes were already closing the gap in the second half of the 2023 F1 season and believes that they could continue that trend in 2024.

"I also just think the sport is even more competitive now. You know, there are so many big teams fighting at the front, and one tiny slip-up and you’re the fourth-best team. So to catch Red Bull is difficult, but they’re getting closer. I mean, Brazil wasn’t a great example, but this second part of the season you’ve seen teams like McLaren, and Mercedes, both fighting very closely with the Red Bulls," he said.

Red Bull finished 2023 with more than double the points ahead of second-placed Mercedes. The former scored 860 points, while the latter accrued 409 points.