Thursday 4th August 2005

Button to be out of F1 in '06?

Public row over contract does driver no favours

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Button unlikely to drive this next year?

Could F1's Jenson Button be out of a job next year? It's a possibility, concludes this week's Autosport magazine, as the Brit's contract dispute with Williams escalates into a bitter stand-off.

Button is determined to remain with BAR next season, but Williams is equally adamant that it has a binding contract on him for 2006. If neither side compromises, Button could find himself refusing to drive for Williams but being prevented by the team from driving for BAR.

The situation has been likened to the one that arose between singer George Michael and his record company, Sony. Michael refused to record for Sony owing to an unresolved disagreement and Sony was unable to make him do so. The company prevented him, however, from recording for other record labels.

Employment specialist Victoria Parry told Autosport: "It's a well-established principle under English common law that an individual cannot be made to work for an organisation against his will, even with a signed contract in place. But depending on the terms of the contract, the organisation might be empowered to prevent the individual from working anywhere else."

Team owner Frank Williams told Autosport that his team's contract with Button for 2006 became effective after the French Grand Prix, when Button was no longer in a position to score 75 percent of championship leader Fernando Alonso's points by August 21. That option, said Williams, placed Button on the 2006 driver market and immediately triggered a second contract obliging him to drive for Williams next year.

Button and Frank Williams met on July 12 to discuss Button's decision to stay with BAR. In a statement, Button's management said: "During the course of the meeting Sir Frank Williams asked Jenson a specific question: 'From what you are saying it sounds like you don't want to be here next season.' To this Jenson replied: 'No, I don't'."

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[james]

Classic.

I do feel sorry for the guy, but it serves him right for acting like such a numpty when he wanted to leave BAR when it wasn't doing so well. Now it looks like a better prospect than Williams for next year, and the deal that he put in place to give him the early get out is making him go whether he wants to or not :)

Hoist by his own petard :)

James

[Nils Baker]

I think it is more a case of being very poorly advised, you can't blame the guy for wanting to be in the best car, anyway it's all immaterial as this is all just brinksmanship on FW's part. Why would he
a. Let Button sit around not driving for him or anyone else
b. Have to pay someone else to drive
c. Look like a complete pillock to his sponsors
d. Not sell Button back to BAR for a huge pot of wedge

its a good job the politics in F1 is interesting as the racing certainly isn't.

[JonRB]

Already a healthy debate going on here: www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=196630

[vetteheadracer]

Simple.

You sign a contract to drive for a team, then you honour it. Where's the problem?
Don't think Jenson was forced to sign for Williams and if you go back a year he didn't want to drive for BAR.

Personally, having met the guy I think he is very over-rated and a very rude tw@t.

Only get out as far as I am conserned would have been the contract stipulated BMW Williams.

[racefan_uk]

Nils Baker said:

d. Not sell Button back to BAR for a huge pot of wedge

I think you've hit the nail firmly on the head there Nils.

If Frank and Patrick are going to have to buy engines next year, they'd be better off handing Jenson back to BAR for a large sum of cash, or... perhaps an engine deal of some sort???

[daydreamer]

The engine angle may already be covered by BMW however - can't see Williams allowing them to walk away at six months notice and not have a significant clam against them.

[LongQ]

Sooo, that means that as far as anyone can tell the Brit drivers in F1 next year will be .... DC.

And Rubens lucks into a number one spot at BAR.

Just like a soap opera really. Who's believe the story lines? Next we'll have 2 McLarens finishing in the same race ....

[vladd]

Williams have already announced that they'll have Cosworth engines next year haven't they?

[gingerprince]

LongQ said:

Sooo, that means that as far as anyone can tell the Brit drivers in F1 next year will be .... DC.

Well, at least there's guaranteed to be 3 British drivers in the upcoming A1GP championship!

www.a1gp.com/

[daydreamer]

vladd said:

Williams have already announced that they'll have Cosworth engines next year haven't they?

Not quite - although rumor has it that it is a racing certainty.

[nords]

I think it is close to being released!!! Cosworth have an excellent rep with V8s!!!!

[jellison]

Bet Williams Cossy will be good.

Button who care - pretty boy - should have won by now in the car he had last year - if Schumi, Kimi had been in it job would have been done.

>> Edited by jellison on Friday 5th August 08:44

[mrdemon]

he is a tit

he will drive for willams i bet

for 1 million pound a race he gets paid i would.

and he did sign up with willams to drive so whats his bother.

[ssharkey]

When the rumours first started flying I thought he had learned something from the previous year and was going to stay quiet, unfortunately he now comes across as a spoiled pratt.

He signed the contract he should take the drive - end of story!

FW has sponsorship deals that hang on Button driving for Williams, if Honda want to buy Buttons contract then the price would have to cover the potential multi-year earnings for those sponsorship deals too and I don't think Button is worth it for Honda.

Anyone know how long Button has signed for Williams?

Of course the ideal scenario is...

1. Button gets to stay at BAR in exchange for huge wads of cash and Antony Davidson to Williams.

2. Williams takes the Cosworth.

3. Now they are free from Fords medling Cosworth produce a cracker.

4. Antony Davidson becomes world champion in 2006.

5. JB proves again what a tw*t he is by trying to jump ship to Williams for 2007.

[chickensoup]

The critical thing for Frank seemed to be a British Driver. So either he is being sponsored by HP sauce, or he is getting a British engine

[browser]

I feel both annoyed and yet have sympathy for both parties,
Frank W never wanted him to stay and take the risk of JB and develop him further under his own flag and instead took Montoya who in the end after a mixed season, deserted to Maclaren and in the end in 2005 Montoya turns out to be a bit of Hunt the shunt on the track and in a tight season will never come out on top in my view.
F Williams loses out with the loss of the BMW Engine next year - and obviously is more than keen to get Button back as he has very little else going on -with the loss of BMW
Being british I do not like the fact of Button staying out of F1 for a year..why? well I tipped Alonso in his first season in F1 as a future champ on ability and Button I believe at his age and being a brit is not going to ever make an F1 chamion - it now looks virtually impossible for Jensen to ever get make it to the top,which like him or not - he is capable of being an F1 champ?
All this leaves me more concerned about the Major Car companies and engine builder slowly but surely taking over F1 ??
Thank Goodness for Valentino and the bikers -



as its th eonly interest its got going for it at present if he were to get a really competative car

[thirsty33]

Nils Baker said:

its a good job the politics in F1 is interesting as the racing certainly isn't.

Never a truer word - I often still watch the pre-amble hour and the first 5 laps and then usually get bored and go off and do something else.

[spenny_b]

browser said:

Thank Goodness for Valentino and the bikers -

Here-here!....best to keep MotoGP quiet, eh?...wouldn't want Mr Mosely to get any dreams of grandeur about trying to take over the FIM or Dorna!!

[LongQ]

chickensoup said:

The critical thing for Frank seemed to be a British Driver. So either he is being sponsored by HP sauce, or he is getting a British engine

It's a strange world these days ...

HP Sauce brand is owned by Danone - a French company.

Cosworth (but depends on which bit iirc) is owned by Audi (?) or at least some non Brit organisation - as it has been non-british affiliated (Ford) for large periods of its life.

Nearest thing to a British engine is ... ?

Mercedes I think but I am open to correction because any clear national affiliation seems to be somewhat tenuous these days.

[andy_b]

he's a tit, along with his managment. Did he learn nothing last year about this and how this doesnt wash well with the Public. Now BAR are saying fight your own corner and Ron Dennis has come out against Button saying contract is a contract, so thats almost 1/4 of the F1 bosses he's narked off (dont forget old Flavio doesnt think much of him either).

Yes he's been very badly advised, but surely he has a couple of brain cells himself.

He's acting like he's bigger than Williams or BAR...and this is someone who still hasn't won a GP. I really like Button as a driver, but this is just doing him real damage.