Button: I want to be with BAR Honda

By Phil Huff
July 29 2005

Jenson Button has finally spoken out about his move, or not, to Williams, revealing that he has decided that he'd like to remain at BAR Honda, the team he fought to leave just a year ago.

"I have to find the right place to win the World Championship," Jenson told British magazine Autosport, "and I think BAR Honda are capable of doing that."

Frank Williams has stated that his team have a contract on the driver, going so far as to say "we fully expect him to arrive at Williams at the due period of time. There is nothing that will change that." Jenson doesn't appear to be put off, however.

"I have a contract with Williams for 2006," confirms Jenson. "Whether that is binding or not remains to be seen. I can understand his situation, but he has to understand mine as well. And I want to be with BAR Honda.

"We have quite a lot of history together, going back to before 2000," he added, "so we need to be adult about it and understand the situation."

Last year saw Button embroiled in a legal wrangle between BAR Honda and Williams, with Brit trying everything to leave BAR Honda for the Grove based team. The matter ended up at F1's Contract Recognition Board, which found in favour of BAR, leaving Jenson very disappointed.

Just ten months ago, Jenson commented that "BAR have been extremely professional at the race track during this [CRB] process, and I expect this to continue. I look forward to joining the Williams team in the future."

"The position has changed a lot with Williams from last year," said Button to Autosport this week. "A racing drivers' career is short, so you have to make the best you can of it."

The changes include Williams losing their BMW engines, with the team signing up to use customer Cosworth engines. More significantly, Honda purchased a 45% stake in BAR, with a view to taking that to 100% at a later date.

"Honda buying in was a major part of me wanting to stay," confirmed Button. "It shows how serious they are about winning the World Championship. This is a big decision for me.

"It's not simply that I am changing my mind from year-to-year."

It does look likely that the matter will, once again, end up before the CRB, unless a commercial agreement can be made between the teams.