Jenson Button made a comment about Nico Rosberg during Sky F1’s post-session coverage of FP2 at the Japanese Grand Prix, creating an awkward moment. The exchange occurred during a discussion about whether the Mercedes driver pairing of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli would develop a volatile rivalry like Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg did.
Button’s Jibe at Rosberg
Button suggested that a Hamilton-Rosberg dynamic wouldn’t be repeated between Russell and Antonelli because “Nico is not driving”. Both Button and Rosberg are former world champions and serve as Sky F1 pundits. Rosberg was not present at Suzuka for Sky F1 duties.
Button’s comment appeared to blame Rosberg for the tension during his time at Mercedes alongside Hamilton. He added, “I think that came down to Nico [laughs]. I would say so. I think they’re both quite level-headed drivers.”
Sky F1’s Response to the Banter
Natalie Pinkham, the Sky F1 presenter, responded to Button’s comments with, “We now know what you think of Nico. I’m sure he’s watching.” The exchange was described as banter, but with an underlying feeling of awkwardness.
Mercedes’ Driver Dynamic in 2026
The discussion on Sky F1 centred around the potential dynamic between Mercedes drivers Russell and Antonelli in F1 2026. The question was whether they would maintain a good relationship, similar to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, or if their relationship would turn sour, mirroring Hamilton and Rosberg’s rivalry. Mercedes had a dominant start to the turbo-hybrid era, but the relationship between Hamilton and Rosberg deteriorated, culminating in a bitter rivalry.
Rosberg secured the 2016 World Championship, ending Hamilton’s title run, before retiring from the sport shortly after. In the early rounds of F1 2026, Mercedes seems to be in championship contention with both drivers. Russell won in Melbourne, and Antonelli won in China.
Hamilton’s Current Form
Button was a former teammate of Hamilton’s at McLaren from 2010-12. Hamilton is preparing to race at the Japanese Grand Prix with Ferrari, following his first podium with the team in China. After a promising start to the season, Hamilton faced frustrations with consecutive P6 finishes on Friday.