Button moves to Williams!

[Seansene]

Your thoughts on the episode? For those who didn't know, here's a recap:

 

5 Aug: 24-year-old Jenson Button has signed a contract to drive for Williams-BMW in 2005 and 2006.

 

Button became Britain's youngest driver to race in Formula 1, when he competed in the Australian GP in 2000.

 

Button said, "I am very pleased that I had the option to re-join the BMW WilliamsF1 Team where my Formula One career started. For the meantime, the 2004 season has my full focus and attention. Beyond this, I have every confidence that the massive investment in resources and the depth of talent at WilliamsF1 and BMW provides the best platform for my future ambitions to be a World Champion."

 

The British driver is currently third in the World Drivers' Championship with BAR-Honda, but has decided to quit the team and will return to the team where he began his F1 career in 2000.

 

With both Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher moving on from Williams at the end of the season, Williams has been looking to fill both seats for the 2005 season.

 

At the German GP the team announced the signing of Australian Mark Webber, and now the team lineup is set with the signing of Button.

 

Frank Williams said, "There has been a long-term relationship between the BMW WilliamsF1 Team and Jenson, indeed his Formula One career started with the team in 2000. We have maintained that relationship until the present day, and I am delighted that one of the most talented drivers in Formula One has accepted the opportunity to return to the team."

 

6 Aug: BAR has issued a statement making it clear that it believes that Jenson Button is under contract for 2005.

 

"Jenson is under contract with BAR for 2005," says team boss David Richards, "since we took up an option on his services only last month. At no time during the last few months has Jenson expressed anything other than his desire to continue working with BAR to achieve our collective goal of winning the World Championship".

 

At the German Grand Prix Honda confirmed its long-term commitment to BAR announcing the extension of their existing contract to at least 2007, with an even greater commitment of engineering resources.

 

9 Aug: A great deal of rubbish is currently being said and written about Jenson Button's decision to switch from BAR-Honda to BMW Williams next season. BAR may have tried to claim the moral high ground by claiming that Button is breaking a contract but this has yet to be proven. If the matter does go to the FIA Contract Recognition Board and Button loses he could go back to BAR-Honda next year. It is hard to imagine that the relationship will be a happy one but it has happened before not least when the Board refused David Coulthard the right to leave Williams to join McLaren back in 1994 and was forced to stay with Williams in 1995. At the end of the year he moved to the Woking team.

 

Under European law, one cannot force someone to work if they do not wish to do that job and so Button could go to Williams anyway although in this case a financial settlement would need to be found. Clearly, however, Williams has taken legal advice and this has indicated that the team is within its rights to sign Button. If this legal opinion is upheld by the Contract Recognition Board Button will join Williams and that will be the end of the matter unless BAR wants to prolong the whole thing and move on from there to a civil action. The team could do this but that would take several months and the team would no be able to sign a replacement for Button in the interim because of its claim.

 

There is no obvious way in which the Briton will be in any danger of any licence suspension or not being allowed to race. If the switch was happening at the next race there might be the possibility of an injunction but that is clearly not the case in this dispute.

 

If BAR decides to drop Button now, it will seriously undermine its own case (not to mention its World Championship hopes) and so this is not really a viable option unless the team decides to give up and let Button go to Williams. In that case Button would probably be able to sue the team for breach of contract.

 

"Their track record of 11 F1 World Championships clearly places them in an outstanding position to provide the resources to take the team and Jenson to the very top," the team said in the statement.

 

"It is our intention to enforce our current contractual position with Jenson," Richards said. "My duty is to the 400-strong workforce which has worked tirelessly over the past two seasons to give Jenson the car he has today; and to our partners, whose unfailing support and commitment to the team has contributed to the solid structure we now have in place. Unfortunately this is now a matter for the lawyers and I have every confidence that the legal process will confirm that yesterday's announcement has not only been premature but also invalid".

 

11 Aug: British American Racing says that the dispute between Jenson Button and the team over the English driver's contract with Williams for 2005 and 2006 cannot go beyond the Contract Recognition Board. They argue that the Concorde Agreement signatories accept decisions made by the CRB and that there is a precedent in the 1999 case of Pedro Diniz versus Arrows in which the team tried to argue that the case should go to the High Court in London but was overruled. The BAR team does however accept that there can be legal actions related to compensation if the teams do not agree with the CRB decision.

 

The team has enlisted the help of sports lawyer Mark Gay, the leading expert in sports law in England and Gavin Kealey QC, a barrister who specializes in commercial law and international arbitration. This will guarantee that whatever happens the team is going to have a very painful legal bill.

 

The details of the dispute continue to leak out with the latest suggestion being that the dispute is based on the difference the terms "will" and "intend to" in the agreement between BAR and Honda. Button's option was dependent on Honda delivering BAR with competitive engines. Button's lawyers are believed to be arguing that intent is not the same as a straight commitment.

 

all courtesy of www.grandprix.com

Edited August 13, 2004 by Seansene

[Biccat]

I don't mince my words!!! God damn ungrateful bxxxxxd!!!

After he was dumped by Williams and then Renault, Dave Richards took him in, build the whole team around him, paraded him around as the future world champion and shoved Jacques Villeneuve aside just to make sure he has everything in his disposal to reach the top. Up to mid-season when all the top constructors were fighting for his services, he reiterated on numerous occasions that he was to stay with BAR and win the championship. Why the sudden about turn, was it the money or even something else??? But one thing for sure, he is going to lose a lot of creditability with many racing fans worldwide, me included.

[DarkLord]

Funny that he was "ditched" by Williams two season ago after so-so performances and now he's wanted again! If I was him, I will show Williams the "middle finger"!!

[DarkLord]

Money is the root of evil, my friend...

[Biccat]

You are right, bro. Money makes the world go round. I may be wrong but after Renault dumped him, he didn't have many options before BAR took him. Even F1 supremo, Ecclesterone advised Dave Richards against taking him on board.

[DarkLord]

Well... Let see what happens if he flops at Williams!

[Seansene]

Williams is like that, very brutal in terms of results, and likely to drop any driver at anytime. They still retained an option for Button's services, so exercised it when they saw the opportunity. Call it business...

 

But as for Jenson's attitude

[DarkLord]

Like that how to compete with Ferrari?

[Seansene]

All Schumi's rivals seem to be self-destructing

 

Or maybe it's all part of MS' secret plan