Jenson Button vs Lewis Hamilton

2012·

Lewis Hamilton edged Jenson Button 11–9 in the races and 15–5 in qualifying at McLaren in 2012. Lewis Hamilton scored 190 points to 188.

Jenson ButtonLewis Hamilton

5Qualifying15

20 shared races

9Race day11

20 shared races

188Points190

in shared races, as awarded at the time

Wins: 3/4
Podiums: 6/7
Poles: 1/7
Retirements: 2/5
Best finish: P1/P1
Avg. grid: 6.5/4.3

Race by race

Round-by-round comparison of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Jenson Button	Lewis Hamilton	Points
1	1Australian Grand Prix	2/1	P1▲	P3	25 / 15
2	2Malaysian Grand Prix	2/1	P14▼	P3	0 / 15
3	3Chinese Grand Prix	5/7	P2▲	P3	18 / 15
4	4Bahrain Grand Prix	4/2	P18▼	P8	0 / 4
5	5Spanish Grand Prix	10/24	P9	P8	2 / 4
6	6Monaco Grand Prix	12/3	P16▼	P5	0 / 10
7	7Canadian Grand Prix	10/2	P16▼	P1▲	0 / 25
8	8European Grand Prix	9/2	P8	P19▼	4 / 0
9	9British Grand Prix	16/8	P10	P8	1 / 4
10	10German Grand Prix	6/7	P2▲	Puncture	18 / 0
11	11Hungarian Grand Prix	4/1	P6	P1▲	8 / 25
12	12Belgian Grand Prix	1/7	P1▲	Collision	25 / 0
13	13Italian Grand Prix	2/1	Fuel pressure	P1▲	0 / 25
14	14Singapore Grand Prix	4/1	P2▲	Gearbox	18 / 0
15	15Japanese Grand Prix	8/9	P4	P5	12 / 10
16	16Korean Grand Prix	11/3	Collision	P10▼	0 / 1
17	17Indian Grand Prix	4/3	P5	P4	10 / 12
18	18Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	5/1	P4	Electrical	12 / 0
19	19United States Grand Prix	12/2	P5	P1▲	10 / 25
20	20Brazilian Grand Prix	2/1	P1▲	Collision	25 / 0
	Average finish		P6.9	P5.3

How to read this table

The driver ahead in a round is shown in bold, the other in grey. Grid shows Jenson Button / Lewis Hamilton.
P1 a win,P3 a podium,DNF a retirement.
▲ a finish at least 4 places better than that driver’s own average finish this season (see the average row), ▼ at least 4places worse. Retirements are not counted in the average.

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton in other seasons

Other seasons in which Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were teammates
Season	Team	Matchup	Quali	Race	Points
2011	McLaren	Jenson Button vs Lewis Hamilton	7–12	10–9	270–227
2010	McLaren	Jenson Button vs Lewis Hamilton	6–13	7–12	214–240

Jenson Button’s career Lewis Hamilton’s career McLaren 2012 season All teammate battles

How these numbers are calculated

Only races both drivers started are counted. Entries that did not qualify, did not pre-qualify or were withdrawn are excluded, as are cars that never left the grid or the garage, and the Indianapolis 500 of 1950–1960.
Until the mid-1960s drivers could share a car during a race. Each driver is compared from the car they started (which sets their grid position), with the best result of any car they drove and the points from all of them, as officially credited.
Qualifying is compared on grid position rather than session times. Session-by-session qualifying data only exists from 1994, while grid position is recorded for over 99% of entries right back to 1950 — including every race of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
On race day the driver classified ahead takes the round. If neither was classified, the one who completed more laps is credited; if both retired on the same lap it is scored as a tie and excluded from the tally.
Points are those awarded at the time and include sprint races from 2021. Where the season used an older system, a second points row rescores every round under the current system so seasons from different eras can be compared.
These are points scored in the races both drivers started, not their season totals: races either missed, or contested alongside a different teammate, are left out. Up to 1990 even full-season totals differ from the championship standings, because only a driver’s best results counted towards the title. In 1988 Alain Prost outscored Ayrton Senna 105 to 94 and still lost the championship. Theseason page has the final standings.