Button believes in Hamilton: 'It will put a lot of pressure on Russell'

Lewis Hamilton wants to win his eighth world title this season. He must then do so with a Mercedes whose competitiveness is unclear. It will undoubtedly remain difficult for Hamilton to digest: after years of competing for wins and titles, he is possibly now chasing Red Bull Racing or Ferrari again.

Jenson Button, former world champion, knows how it feels. He too was once in a car (from Brawn GP) that seemed unbeatable for some time. Towards the end of his career, he drove for McLaren, which at the time was unreliable and had a poor performing Honda Power Unit. "It is something we all go through at some point in our career," Button told Sky Sports.

Reason for retirement

"It's a reason why a lot of people retire; they're not in a winning car anymore. That's why I left. You can deal with the pressure you put yourself under and the calendar if you're in a winning car. When you're not, it's like 'I've had enough and I want to get out'," the pundit said.

Button also realised that Mercedes have given Hamilton a winning car for years. For the first time since joining F1, Hamilton didn't get a Grand Prix victory in a season. "But the car did win a race last year so you would say at the end of the year they were strong. I think Lewis was on it, his performances were very consistent through mid to end of the season. Very very quick. I think he will start this year flat out, he will be on it from the word go. I look forward to seeing that. It will put a lot of pressure on Russell but it's a good pairing."