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Tuesday, December 24 Updated: December 31, 11:41 AM ET  Comments on Formula One drivers ESPN.com We spotlighted F1 drivers Jenson Button and David Coulthard. Here are your thoughts on their '02 campaigns and prospects for next season:
Jenson Button is a much better driver than some people put him out to be. He needs to work on his outright qualifying speed and starts, but during the 2002 season he was consistently faster and more mistake free than Jarno Trulli even though he knew he was getting ousted from midseason. Also, you have to realize that even though his treatment wasn't as blatant as Barrichello's, Button didn't get as many of the development pieces for his car throughout the second half of the season and he still kept contact with Trulli. I think that in 2004 when he comes back to Williams to replace Ralf or Juan he will shine Jon Hasseler Grand Rapids, Mich.
Poor Jenson. He starts at Williams, gets traded to Renault and gets demoted again to BAR. At this rate, he should be at Minardi in about two years. All kidding aside, one thing I think Jenson has going for him in '03 is the fact that Honda pulled out of CART and dumped Jordan. That should free up some resources that can be applied to producing a more competitive car. If Jenson can settle in at the team, manage to stay for more than a year and gets a competitive car, he definitely has the talent put it on the podium. Chris Wilkins Minneapolis, Minn.
Coulthard is one of those drivers who has a high profile ride without really being a driver capable of winning a championship. He's never had a realistic sniff of the championship and never will have because he's driving in the Schumacher era. Even if M. Schumacher weren't dominating F1 the past several years, Coulthard wouldn't be winning championships, he'd be chasing others such as R. Barrichello and J. Montoya. Coulthard has only had success because he's driving for one of three teams capable of winning races in F1; put him in a Sauber and he'd be as well known as Nick Heidfeld. Dennis Walker Silverdale, Wash.
This is going to be a pivotal year for David Coulthard. He must perform compared to Kimi and the rest of the grid, or this could be his final year at McLaren Mercedes. The performance of the car is going to have to be flawless for Coulthard to be on the pace with the Williams team (forget keeping up with the Ferrari). And the way things are going, I suspect Coulthard is going to have a disappointing year. Bryan McCauslin Shreveport, La.
David is running out of time. If he's going to be champion, he has to make it happen in the next two years. Unfortunately for him, at least one of those years for sure will be against Michael and Ferrari. Chris Wilkins Minneapolis, Minn.
The McLaren team could once again become competitive if they could just kick Mercedes in the rear and get them to produce a powerful, reliable engine. This past season they went for the reliability and they had the aggression of a limp noodle. They need to get that fighting spirit back and get back up there Scott Means Spokane, Wash.
I've always liked DC's personality and his cool confidence on the track, but that confidence was broken when he slid off the track and out of the lead in Australia, then broken again the first time he was lapped in sixth place by Schumacher, then broken again by being vastly outqualified by his teammate. I wish that he could get a Championship, but sadly, I think if Raikkonen shows better reliability this year, he could easily outscore Coulthard and maybe even put him out of a job. Coulthard's saving grace is that he has the sagacity to keep his car running, instead of driving on the edge all of the time and blowing engines and tires. Steven Buckwalter Lancaster, Pa.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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