Oh dear, an all British line-up; it’s quite tempting really, especially when you look on the drivers as two consecutive World Champions, but honestly Button is going to have his arse handed to him, and particularly rudely at that. Speaking to Northern Irish Jamie earlier today, the exact sentiment was that Jenson, in this latest contractual wrangling has committed career suicide by joining the Surrey team. Simply, Button should have stayed put at Daimler Mercedes Inc, especially if you believe Ed Gorman’s column from earlier this week, which exposes the Brawn hard sell as a fallacy on the part of JB’s management. Certainly, Button is well worth his pre-recession rate of £8 million, but let’s not be greedy now shall we? The deal on the table should not have been solely about money (if it was), as Button had the chance to continue on in a team that had been built around him and brought Championship glory in an intimate and familiar setting. To believe that he’ll get that elsewhere, especially at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is lunacy and particularly reckless with a career that had just begun to float again.

There is of course that other carrot; what if JB knows something the rest of us mere onlookers don’t? We all remember the anguish of a dramatically under-prepared McLaren at the start of the season, and just to guess, but it wouldn’t appear that Brawn GP were putting a great deal of preparation into next year’s car until quite late in ’09. It’s unlikely, but so far we’ve only seen the manufacturer formerly known as BAR produce either an absolute dog or something quite tremendous and awe-inspiring, it would be a safe bet that Button didn’t quite fancy his chances, regardless of the success of the past year.

Button heads off to join McLaren, in the first all-British partnership we’ve seen in the sport since the days of Brundle and Blundell. And not to compare our new champion to the likes of Fernando Alonso, but much like today, it was smiles and hugs when it was first announced that the Spaniard would be joining the Good Ship Dennis. JB will of course enter with this firmly in mind, but you’re having a laugh if you for one moment believe this early period is going to be a walk in the park. Hamilton and Button are possibly the least ego-driven drivers in the paddock, but they’re also both World Champions and it’s been a while since a team has thought it a prudent investment to have two of those on their books.

Jenson, stung by a failure to finish the final rounds of this season past with a win will be out to prove that his reign as World Champion is on merit and not simply the tail end of a blindingly awesome car. Whilst Hamilton will be wondering where his uniqueness has gone seeing as his new teammate has even got the corporate bullshit down to a fine art already. It’s going to be all about what’s happening on track, as it should be really, but McLaren had a similar arrangement with Senna and Prost back in the late 80s, and it wasn’t exactly harmonious. It’s not rocket science to understand that producing a champion requires a master and subordinate; a Barrichello to your Schumacher, a Heikki to your Lewis, which is not to say that these guys aren’t potential World Champions… well actually it is. But more to the point, it’s why Alonso’s sojourn in Woking didn’t work for the 2007 attempt, and it’s why things this time around had better establish a clear dominance or face a scrappy battle to 2nd place at best, because as Red Bull aptly demonstrated this year; if you’ve got two elite drivers taking important points off each other, then not even a reliable engine can save you.

Today’s announcement also highlights the more downbeat aspect of silly season; Raikkonen’s departure from all things Formula One. We love to mock Kimi here at the Sett, I mean the guy does himself no favours in the context of the egregiously chirpy and media-savvy stars of the future, yet he truly was in a class of his own when on form. Schumacher said Hakkinen was the only driver he was ever really afraid of; I’m pretty sure he meant Raikkonen.

But not to dwell, a good old showdown between Jenson, Lewis, Fernando and Sebastian is surely all but guaranteed for next year. And the best thing about today’s announcement? Honestly? The thought of our dearest editor Adam in McLaren team wear. As they say, some things in life are priceless.