Formula One drivers have a reputation for being cold and calculating, and the media has long wished that many were more animated. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

McLaren Animation, part of the giant family of McLaren companies, has partnered with Oscar-winning animation studio Frameworks to create a cartoon series called “Tooned,” starring Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Airing on Britain’s Sky Sports network, Car and Driver says a new episode is planned to precede each remaining F1 race of the 2012 season.

Frankly, we think this is brilliant, and can’t wait to see future installments. We particularly love the line about “one of Nigel Mansell’s original mustaches,” although we suspect an actual Nigel Mansell mustache would be quite a bit larger than depicted.

There is perhaps no bigger sign of celebrity status than being immortalized in animation,  and we hope the trend carries over to the United States. Who wouldn’t want to see an animated Kurt Busch hurl expletives (and, perhaps, even dynamite) at pit reporters, or an animated Danica Patrick throwing anvils at an animated Sam Hornish, Jr.?

Somehow, we suspect that the off-track relationship between Hamilton and Button (what relationship they're forced to have under contract, anyway) isn't dissimilar from what's shown here. We’ll do our best to track down future episodes of “Tooned,” because the series looks to be too good to pass up.