Jenson Button to join Williams

[Carol]

:eek:
It's true....
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=21891
He's joining Williams next year on a two-year deal.

[tomahawk]

Holy moly!

I just checked all of the F1 websites and it appears to be true. Apparently, BAR let his option lapse. I would speculate that Jenson's performance this year has led to some negotiations with respect to the contract extension and BAR, thinking that there weren't any attractive options, overplayed their hand.

Wow!

:tomahawk

[RichK]

OK, who's going to start the "Jacques back to BAR" rumors? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[Anteater]

Well, hurrah for Button. In my dreams, da Matta gets the seat at BAR Honda and kicks Toyota's evil a$$ next season! :D

[JohnHKart]

Wow!!! Right out of the blue, and not one rumour suggested this. Except in hindsight it was so obvious, Jenson remained in the team's mind the whole time since he left. It was always going to be a one year deal when he drove in 2000, although people tried to make it look like he was sacked, the truth is what happened is exactly what he signed up to do.

John

[Sean O'Gorman]

:eek:

[Dr. Corkski]

OK, who's going to start the "Jacques back to BAR" rumors? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :rofl:

[jonovision_man]

Wow!!! Right out of the blue, and not one rumour suggested this. Except in hindsight it was so obvious, Jenson remained in the team's mind the whole time since he left. It was always going to be a one year deal when he drove in 2000, although people tried to make it look like he was sacked, the truth is what happened is exactly what he signed up to do.

John

Yeah, but he had a contract with BAR through 2005 that us in the public thought was solid... and it sounds like Williams is a bit unsure of whether signing Button was legit.

From AtlasF1 (Sir Frank):
"I think [BAR] probably wanted to take up the option but whether they've executed or not will come out in due course."

F1 is ready for some lessons in contract law... :)

BAR finds themselves suddenly thrust into the driver market!

jono

[Robstar]

Jenson & Webbo at Williams !
Melbourne is going to be awesome next March... :thumbup:

[The Doctor]

Rarely I'm surprised by driver choices in F1. Now I'm shocked. I'd have never known Williams could ever pry Button away from BAR any time in the next two years. :eek: :eek:

Should be an interesting grid next year -- Button and Webber at Williams, Sato and Davidson at BAR, Ralf and Trulli at Toyota

[Railbird]

I'll bet the Brit press is over the moon on ths one, and I have to admit I'm pretty excited to see what this match up produces. With Williams letting their drivers have at each other no holds barred it should be interesting.

Of course it looks like Terzi's tusk nose has been deemed to be a failure so the team itself is now under the gun to produce something these lads can take the fight to Ferrari with.

[Railbird]

Sato and Davidson at BAR

are we sure about that one?

[Robstar]

I'll bet the Brit press is over the moon on ths one

I can't wait to hear the commentary from Martin "I love Jensen" Brundle & James "I love Jensen" Allen from ITV... :laugh:

[Clown]

I can't wait to hear the commentary from Martin "I love Jensen" Brundle & James "I love Jensen" Allen from ITV... :laugh:Its funny 'cos it true :laugh: :rofl:

Suddenly Billy and Crompton don't seem so bad....

[Railbird]

Looking around various F1 sites it appears this little drama is just in act one.

The Atlas F1 board is certainly entertaining.

[4wheeldrifter]

This is a bit of a shocker. I mean leaving the Yen soaked team that dumped (reportedly) $20M/year on Newtown for a team who's owner is somewhat known as a tightwad, at least among top level teams. What gives?

I hope they can get their chassis together next year. I'd like to see as many as possible with a chance to knock off the Red Menace.

[JohnHKart]

Oops, sorry I should have wrote in 2000 he specifically signed a one year race deal with Williams, and Montoya was always scheduled to return to the team in 2001. But yeah, Jenson's name has never come up in the 2005 silly season, seemed like a good fit at BAR. This is very surprising.

John

[Clown]

Richards issues statement

06/08/2004

Following reports yesterday that Lucky Strike BAR Honda's lead driver Jenson Button is leaving to join the Williams team in 2005, BAR Team Principal David Richards has made the following statement:

"We are absolutely astounded to hear that Jenson thinks that he is leaving BAR for Williams next season. Neither myself, nor any other member of the BAR team, has been contacted by Jenson to discuss this matter.

Jenson is under contract with BAR for 2005, 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".

Jenson joined BAR in 2003 from Renault and has seen his career transformed as a result. During the four and a half seasons of his F1 career he has scored 106 points, of which 78 have been in the last year and a half with BAR. In 2004 Jenson took his first F1 podium and he is currently lying third in the drivers' championship.

At the German Grand Prix, 23 July 2004, Honda confirmed their long-term commitment to BAR announcing the extension of their existing contract to at least 2007, with an even greater commitment of engineering resources. 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.

David continues: "It is our intention to enforce our current contractual position with Jenson. 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".

[Ankf00]

OK, who's going to start the "Jacques back to BAR" rumors? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

:rofl:

[TedN]

More background ....

Here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3541856.stm)

And Here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3541518.stm)

Ted

[jonovision_man]

So Button is using a clause that "allows him to leave the team if BAR risk losing their Honda engines."... when just days back Honda announced a long-term extention to their engine supply of BAR? Sure, they added clauses saying they could still leave if the rules change, but c'mon, it's as good of a commitment as anyone out there has from an engine supplier.

Pretty weak, Bunson.

[rosawendel]

"...allows him to leave the team if BAR risk losing their Honda engines"

can anyone parse that statement for me? is there some sort of british to american phrasing that i'm missing here? to me, that statement makes no sense. as in, "what's the difference between a duck? one of it's legs is both the same."

[jonovision_man]

"...allows him to leave the team if BAR risk losing their Honda engines"

can anyone parse that statement for me? is there some sort of british to american phrasing that i'm missing here? to me, that statement makes no sense. as in, "what's the difference between a duck? one of it's legs is both the same."

I read it as :
If there's a risk BAR could lose their Honda engines, Button can leave the team.

Highly subjective clause to put into a contract...

[The Doctor]

I read somewhere (if I find it I'll post it) that there was a clause that said Honda had to sign a long-term agreement before BAR could take up their option. Agreement was then slightly delayed. Option came, BAR picked it up. Honda signed soon thereafter. Button's management then says the option is null and void because Honda didn't sign before they took the option. And this is supposedly how they got out of the contract.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns13335.html

...

Williams refused to explain what went wrong with the BAR option on Button but we have heard from other sources that it relates to the timing of the announcement of the team's new deal with Honda. This took place at the German Grand Prix but we hear that Button's option with the team called for BAR and Honda to have a long-term agreement in place before Button's option was taken up. It appears that because the Honda announcement was delayed for some reason, the Button option was therefore taken up before all the elements of the deal were in place and that gave Button's management the chance to consider the situation and make an approach to Williams, which has the secondary option on Button's services.

...

[Chaos]

Looking around various F1 sites it appears this little drama is just in act one.

The Atlas F1 board is certainly entertaining.

wow...that's quite the topic of conversation there....long thread!

[jonovision_man]

wow...that's quite the topic of conversation there....long thread!

Everyone's suddenly a lawyer. :) :rolleyes:

I don't think the legal challenge will matter as far as the line-up goes, Button will be at Williams. More a question of how much $$ BAR gets.

[Joe in LA]

The real question is how much longer does Richards remain at BAR. If this move sticks, the sponsor and the engine supplier are not going to be happy.

Sir Frank finally "gets revenge" on Honda for 1988.

[Chaos]

I have to admit I had a light chuckle at all the posts that were stating karma is biting David Richards in the butt right now with respect to his treatment of JV. I'm kinda liking it :laugh:

[Dr. Corkski]

I have to admit I had a light chuckle at all the posts that were stating karma is biting David Richards in the butt right now with respect to his treatment of JV. I'm kinda liking it :laugh:JV will be the loser in this deal no matter what, his F1 career is as dead as Rick James now thanks to Timberlakex2. Richards could still come out ahead if he finds a capable replacement given that there are so many drivers out there on the market.

[B3RACER1a]

Seabass? DaMatta?

[Robstar]

his F1 career is as dead as Rick James now thanks to Timberlakex2.


Well put ! :thumbup:

This coulda woulda shoulda been his year, but alas... :(

[Railbird]

Now we'll see how Webber really rates.

Not that I think he lacks talent or anything, but I will be interested in seeing if the results match the hype.

[oddlycalm]

Driver shuffling is always a fun topic, but I'm not of the opinion that Williams has overly suffered in the area of driver talent anytime recently. The BMW engines have been strong and reliable as well.

oc

[Sean O'Gorman]

OK, who's going to start the "Jacques back to BAR" rumors? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Whos laughing now?

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/12479/

[Lizzerd]

That article said nothing more than Jacques WANTS to be back at BAR. His side of the story. What's your point, Sean?

[Sean O'Gorman]

That article said nothing more than Jacques WANTS to be back at BAR. His side of the story. What's your point, Sean?

I just thought it was funny because, honestly, who saw that coming?

[Ed_Severson]

That was quite the eye-popper yesterday. I went to F1-Live and did a double take because I thought I read "BAR Confirm Villeneuve Contract" :eek: