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Buttongate 2005
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Topic Started: Jul 29 2005, 12:49 PM (263 Views)
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underbird92
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Jul 29 2005, 12:49 PM
Post #1
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Button Asks Williams to Release Him Written by: Cassio Cortes London, UK – 7/28/2005
 Button: "BAR is the place to be" in the near future. (LAT Photo)Jenson Button has gone full circle, speaking out about his desire to stay at BAR some 12 months after speaking out about his desire to leave BAR. In what has already been dubbed “Buttongate II”, the Briton wants to stay at the Honda-powered squad next year in spite of having signed a contract to be at Williams in 2006. Flashback to 2004, “Buttongate I”: after signing with the then-BMW-backed outfit for ‘05, JB found out he could not get released from his contract with BAR, which ran through the end of the 2005 season. Driver and Williams wanted him to make the move, but BAR simply claimed it had a valid agreement with the Briton, and the Contract Recognitions Board agreed. The aftermath of that conflict was an agreement for Button to finally make his long-desired move to Williams this year, unless BAR was able to provide him with a car that scored at least 75 percent of the leader’s points by the end of August. That never came close to happening, and as such Sir Frank is entitled to have the driver he signed a year ago for next season. But lots of water ran under the bridge ever since, most notably BMW’s dumping of Williams to start its own team in 2006, taking over Sauber. No longer a factory-backed squad - the team should have Cosworth as a stopgap engine, ahead of an ’07 deal with Toyota/Lexus - Williams suddenly lost its appeal to Button, still winless in six years in F1. "I've been in Formula 1 for six years now, and I haven't had the equipment to win a race, so this is a very important decision for me. I have to be with the correct team and that is BAR Honda," Button told Autosport-Atlas. "I have a contract with Williams for 2006," he admitted. "Whether that is binding or not remains to be seen. I can understand Williams’ situation, but he has to understand mine as well. And I want to be with BAR Honda. It's not in a spoilt brat kind of way, it is just this is an important decision for my career.” Problem is, Sir Frank apparently considers Button one of the biggest remaining assets of a squad that has just lost its biggest financial partner. As a result, chances are the Briton’s persuasive rhetoric won’t be enough to get him out of the deal. Williams does have, however, a history of selling drivers’ contracts when the numbers involved are high enough. Most notably, Sir Frank gave away Jean Alesi’s 1992 contract to Ferrari for a king’s ransom and some, that “some” including a Ferrari F1 car for his own particular museum. If BAR-Honda doesn’t throw in a similar proposal, Buttongate II would complete its emulation of Buttongate I and end up being decided in court.
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/18497/
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Williams: "A Deal's a Deal, Jenson" Written by: Cassio Cortes London, UK – 7/29/2005
 Sir Frank will put up a fight before letting Button jump out of his Williams contract. (LAT Photo)Jenson Button’s heartfelt plea to stay at BAR next year, in spite of having a contract to join Williams in ‘06, hasn’t resonated on Sir Frank Williams’ mind apparently. The veteran team owner seems determined to fight to have next season the driver he signed over a year ago. “A deal is a deal," Sir Frank told British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. "A contract is a contract. I must explain that to Jenson…” While Williams’ stiff stance is no novelty, it can no longer be interpreted as hardballing to convince both the driver and BAR-Honda to offer hefty compensations for the Grove, UK-based squad. "Jenson is emphatically, in capital letters, NOT FOR SALE," Sir Frank added to Autosport. "We are a serious racing team; we need him." Thus, “Buttongate II” seems poised to indeed go full circle and end up being decided on a courtroom - just like “Buttongate I”. "I have always believed that a signature on a contract is basically underlining a man's word given in honor,” continued Williams. “We have a proper and correct contract in place that will stand up to any examination." Button insisted his career cannot afford a switch to Williams at the moment, as the team has lost its factory-backed status for next year, when current partners BMW will take over Sauber. "I don't know if Frank understands, but I can't wait another three years building a team up," the Briton told the same publication. "This is a decision that will change my career, so I have to make it." The irony of a repeat of an inside-out repeat of last year’s events, when JB wanted to move to Williams in spite of having a contract with BAR, was not lost on Sir Frank. "This demonstrates that when a driver says, 'Sorry, I've changed my mind', every time it suits him, there will be chaos in the paddock," Williams concluded.
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/18517/
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HomeDepotRacing20TS
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Jul 29 2005, 01:03 PM
Post #2
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New and improved...okay false advertising. Whatever. Sue me.
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Well this is going to be interesting.
Its also why I've drifted back to an apathy of F1. Nothing but politics on wheels.
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ElDonkey
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Jul 29 2005, 01:15 PM
Post #3
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2009 Sprint Cup Pick Em Champion
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F1 SUCKS BALLS. no passing and shitty racing
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HomeDepotRacing20TS
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Jul 29 2005, 01:19 PM
Post #4
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New and improved...okay false advertising. Whatever. Sue me.
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- Donkey
- Jul 29 2005, 02:15 PM
F1 SUCKS BALLS. no passing and shitty racing
Sometimes there's good racing, for an F1 race.
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Dewy9
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Jul 29 2005, 01:52 PM
Post #5
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There was some great racing for 2-7 last week after about 15-20 to go.
I know I watch the races, or at least try to, but who's ride is he going to?
Williams will be good with Cosworth. Cosworth has really stepped up their program.
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underbird92
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Jul 29 2005, 05:09 PM
Post #6
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- DewCrew914
- Jul 29 2005, 12:52 PM
Williams will be good with Cosworth. Cosworth has really stepped up their program.
Since Ford stoped running the business and Champ Car owner Kevin Kalkhoven took over, they have had a better F1 and IRL program.
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Dewy9
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Jul 29 2005, 07:41 PM
Post #7
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- underbird92
- Jul 29 2005, 06:09 PM
- DewCrew914
- Jul 29 2005, 12:52 PM
Williams will be good with Cosworth. Cosworth has really stepped up their program.
Since Ford stoped running the business and Champ Car owner Kevin Kalkhoven took over, they have had a better F1 and IRL program.
:up:
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underbird92
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Jul 30 2005, 12:30 PM
Post #8
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Has BAR Offered Davidson to Williams? Written by: Cassio Cortes London, UK – 7/26/2005
 Davidson ® could be the "sacrificial lamb" that will keep Button (L) at BAR next year. (LAT Photo)According to British tabloid Daily Mirror, BAR has found a way to solve “Buttongate II” before it even starts. The Honda-powered squad’s plan to avoid going to court again to retain Jenson Button’s services next year consists of releasing its rated tester Anthony Davidson to Williams and add a $9 million sweetener, in order to convince Sir Frank Williams that he should not take his contractual option to have JB alongside Mark Webber in ‘06. Besides getting another young Briton under his fold, Williams would accept the deal since it needs cash to pay for a customer engine contract with Cosworth next season, before it partners with Toyota/Lexus in ‘07. The Mirror report claimed BAR came up with the offer - which also includes paying Davidson’s yearly wages, of about $500,000, for two years - after Sir Frank rejected a personal, face-to-face appeal from Button at Williams’ motorhome last weekend at Germany. BAR was quick to deny the deal, however, even though team boss Nick Fry admitted the squad is bent on retaining Jenson. “It is clearly in the interests of all concerned that this is sorted out quickly," Fry told the tabloid. "We have made it clear we want Jenson to stay and hopefully we can make it happen. We want him to stay with us for the rest of his career. "[But] no offer has been made and there have been no discussions," he added to news agency Reuters. "There is no suggestion to date from Williams that they want to do a deal." Ironically, during last year’s “Buttongate I”, Williams made a move to have Davidson after it became clear that BAR would retain Button, who had signed contracts with both squads. The Honda-powered team then vetoed Davidson’s transfer, however, claiming exactly that it would need him in ‘06 in case JB indeed ended up at Williams…
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/18449/
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