Jenson Button tipped to become co-host of 'Top Gear'

That was my thinking as well. Silly as it became the concept of an anonymous figure like that works as an element of the show and also allows for a driver change if for some reason a car's owner doesn't want TG's own driver in their car. I like Jenson but I fear he would be in essence just TG's Tiff Needell and the show might resemble its much older self and revert to being simply the BBC's version of Fifth Gear, which as we know is lurking on the History Channel having failed to attract enough viewers for either Five or the Discovery Channel.
 
Y'know this got a little idea to form here: What if BBC scrapped the Evans idea and came up with a show presented by 3 high profile racers? Jenson Button, Damon Hill, and maybe... Nigel Mansell?
 
It would suck, that's what.
 
Does that mean they wouldn't need the Stig?

That was my thinking as well. Silly as it became the concept of an anonymous figure like that works as an element of the show and also allows for a driver change if for some reason a car's owner doesn't want TG's own driver in their car. I like Jenson but I fear he would be in essence just TG's Tiff Needell and the show might resemble its much older self and revert to being simply the BBC's version of Fifth Gear, which as we know is lurking on the History Channel having failed to attract enough viewers for either Five or the Discovery Channel.

Wasn't the Stig brought in originally because none ot the three can drive?

The French TG has a racing driver and a Stig.

Anyway there is a whole marketing and merchandise juggernaut based on the Stig, so they probably have to keep it.
 
That was my thinking as well. Silly as it became the concept of an anonymous figure like that works as an element of the show and also allows for a driver change if for some reason a car's owner doesn't want TG's own driver in their car. I like Jenson but I fear he would be in essence just TG's Tiff Needell and the show might resemble its much older self and revert to being simply the BBC's version of Fifth Gear, which as we know is lurking on the History Channel having failed to attract enough viewers for either Five or the Discovery Channel.

I'd argue the odds are stacked quite high against any major success with the new format no matter who they get in.
 
I find this idea intriguing, he's been quite a good on camera personality on the formula one grid and if he's ruthlessly being given the sack by Ron Dennis to make way for his next favourite young driver then I'd prefer to see him on Top Gear then being the latest Sky F1 host I think I'd look forward to the new Top Gear more if it had Jenson Button just to see how he'd do because I still think Chris Evans is just going to make a boring straight forward PC magazine show which I'll watch anyway.
 
It would suck, that's what.

This. If anything, TG has taught us that F1 drivers are usually extremely boring (Kimi aside) and have nothing of real interest to say. 3 of them would just not make for entertaining television. Perhaps completely accurate in their reviews, but rather boring...
 
As long as Jenson's girlfriend will be the SIARPC in every episode...
 
Jenson "just barely" made it on the McLaren team this year -- they kept him hanging long after the end of last season before they finally decided to renew his contract.

McLaren's move this year to Honda engines has been pretty much an unmitigated disaster, especially for Jenson. His car has failed on him a number of times, usually very near the beginning of races. Though, the team did quite well during the last race in Hungary, with Alonso coming in 5th and Jenson 9th, if memory serves me correctly.

The bottom line of the above is that Jenson could decide to move elsewhere, given his recent career history, and that would make plenty of sense.

On the other hand, absolutely NONE of the traditional Formula One news sources are reporting anything regarding Jenson and Top Gear.

And finally, would Jenson make a good Top Gear presenter? He's certainly a personable guy, and if he is as chummy with Chris Evans as some say, perhaps he might do a fine job. On the other hand, it would make a TON of sense for Jenson to move into race commentary, as he is certainly a well-spoken guy.

In the end, I'm a general fan of Tiff Nedell's and Jason Plato's work on Fifth Gear -- they are certainly proof that race drivers can do a decent job on TV car programs.

I certainly could see the end of the Stig -- that's something that Chris Evans really doesn't need to bring forward from the CH&M Top Gear. So, fine, go ahead and have a professional race driver doing the hot comparison laps. And even that -- who says that Chris Evan's Top Gear has to have ANYTHING that went on previously? They could do away with the fastest laps and the SIARPC, just like that.

Perhaps the bottom line is that a big name like Jenson might well help the new Chris Evans Top Gear do well in the ratings, and I think we all would agree that the ratings for the new show won't be anywhere near as good as the CH&M version. So, it would make plenty of sense to have Jenson on, no doubt about it.

My bet? This is typical UK press garbage, and it'll never happen. Simple as that.
 
thoots you speak a lot of sense. And I have to agree with Jack Christie that having built up the Stig character so much it would be utterly idiotic to drop it. Aside from the associated merchandising it also forms a huge piece of continuity from CHM to the upcoming version of the show. It would be like a Rolling Stones tribute band that didn't play Satisfaction or Jumpin' Jack Flash.
 
This. If anything, TG has taught us that F1 drivers are usually extremely boring (Kimi aside) and have nothing of real interest to say. 3 of them would just not make for entertaining television. Perhaps completely accurate in their reviews, but rather boring...

hamilton, alonso and vettel each have way more to say than the stupid one-liners kimi manages to produce...

also, Eddy Irvine would be pretty cool i think :)
 
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thoots you speak a lot of sense. And I have to agree with Jack Christie that having built up the Stig character so much it would be utterly idiotic to drop it. Aside from the associated merchandising it also forms a huge piece of continuity from CHM to the upcoming version of the show. It would be like a Rolling Stones tribute band that didn't play Satisfaction or Jumpin' Jack Flash.

The problem as I see it, is that I'm not sure Evans and the new producer is able to make the Stig fit or be fun like the Jezza/Wilman concept did.
New TG would probably be better off without using the Stig character at all.
 
I'm fairly sure Jenson has said if he retires from Formula One, that he'll be looking at other forms of racing. It was where his comments about Formula e came from. I'd love to see him in the BTCC.
 
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