Jenson back at base

By Phil Huff (16/10/2003)
October 16 2003

Jenson Button returned to the BAR Operations Centre to a hero's welcome having finished 4th in the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend.

The race, which also saw team-mate Takuma Sato mark his racing debut for the team with a 6th place finish, was the last of an eventful season which saw the BAR team finish 5th in the Constructors Championship.

Jenson and Team Principal, David Richards, had just returned from a promotional visit to China where they had a chance to visit the new circuit in Shanghai, but both men thought it important to get back to Northamptonshire as soon as possible to celebrate with the whole team.

However, whilst David and Jenson were happy with this years 5th position, they both stressed how important the winter period would be to push the team forward to be a top 3 contender.

Speaking to the team David Richards said "Whilst we're delighted with the 5th place this year, we have to keep going forward if we are looking to challenge the top 3 teams. Both Honda and ourselves are ambitious, and we're confident we have a package in place for next year to be in really competitive position. But we need to make sure we work extremely hard over the coming months to ensure our plans keep to schedule."

Jenson Button added "I must firstly thank you for the season. Having been in the lead twice in successful races, it shows that we're heading in the right direction. We've now all got to continue the hard effort over the closed season in preparation for next year. I know I'll be giving it my all in training, I'm even going cross-country skiing which I hate, but it's great cardiovascular activity! I'll also be stepping up my role in the team to get my opinion across and I'll be here at the factory as much as possible."

Following the debrief, the whole team celebrated with a glass of champagne before getting back down to work on the 2004 challenger.

Source: BARf1.com