Jenson Button is the “best number 2″ in formula one, and his laid-back style is because he is happy to retire without adding a second world championship.

That is the typically outspoken claim of former Ferrari and Jaguar driver Eddie Irvine.

“Jenson is doing nothing special. He just does a reasonable job,” the Ulsterman told Germany’s Auto Bild Motorsport amid suggestions the 2009 world champion has got the upper hand on his McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton this season.

Irvine said of Button: “He knows he will never again be world champion and he drives accordingly. Lewis on the other hand absolutely wants to be champion again and so he’s too aggressive.

“He fights not only against the others but against himself; in some races he has been simply stupid,” said the 45-year-old Ulsterman.

Irvine said he would like to see Hamilton switch to Red Bull.

“Then we will see how good (Sebastian) Vettel is,” he insisted. “And we really would, because one thing we already know is that Hamilton has beaten Alonso in the same team.”

Irvine said German Vettel, 24, is clearly “very, very good, but many drivers have taken a title in Newey’s car. And, for me, his teammate Webber is not a top driver”.

Eddie Irvine has outpaced F1′s current British stars on the Sunday Times’ sporting rich list for 2011.
The former Ferrari and Jaguar driver and 1999 championship runner-up has made a US $128 million fortune in property development since retiring from formula one in 2002.

1979 world champion Jody Scheckter, now a successful organic farmer, has $96 million, with Prodrive boss David Richards and David Coulthard coming next.

2008 title winner Lewis Hamilton’s $80m fortune matches Scottish veteran Coulthard’s, which is more than McLaren’s other driver Jenson Button at $77m.

1992 world champion Nigel Mansell’s fortune is the same as Button’s, according to the list.

Fernando Alonso has refused to criticise the Sauber team for ousting fellow Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa.

De la Rosa has been replaced with immediate effect by former long-time Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld, 14 races into de la Rosa’s return to the F1 grid.

“From the outside, we don’t know what happened. You can’t really judge these sorts of decisions that a team makes,” said Alonso, whose employer Ferrari supplies engines to Hinwil based Sauber.

“All I can do is send all the encouragement in the world to Peter and to tell him to keep fighting, because he is a fighter,” added the two-time world champion to Spanish newspapers.

“With Sauber it didn’t work out and hopefully he will get another chance,” said Alonso.

Before 2010, 39-year-old de la Rosa spent the previous seven years as McLaren’s test driver, but he vowed not to give up his desire to keep racing in F1.

The veteran of 84 grands prix told TV broadcaster Sport1: “I will come back.

“It will be difficult, but I’ve done it before and I will do it again,” added former Arrows and Jaguar driver de la Rosa.

Johnny Herbert will this weekend once again act as F1′s driver steward.

The 45-year-old Briton, who won three grands prix during his career spanning 165 races until 2000, debuted in the role in Malaysia.

Since the 2010 season opener, former drivers including Alain Prost, Alex Wurz, Derek Warwick and Damon Hill have also served alongside the three regular stewards.

But former Benetton, Tyrrell, Lotus, Ligier, Sauber, Stewart and Jaguar driver Herbert is the first driver to officiate at more than one grand prix.

Also touted to appear in 2010 are Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Mika Salo and Nigel Mansell.

(GMM)