http://www.pistonheads.com/motorsport/default.asp?storyId=11517
I am so tired of Button. It would serve him right after what he pulled with BAR last year. I find it ironic that at that time BAR was horrible and he was leaving for sure, now he is convinced Williams is awful and he will not leave BAR. Button should be glad that he even has a ride now. He is at a place in his career where he needs to start winning races if not championships. So far a few podiums does not back up his boastful statements. KR and FA will someday win championships, I highly doubt Button ever will. Of the field of 20 drivers, there are probably 9 or 10 that I would take over him for a team.
That's just disgusting. What a cry bady he is. Look at this huge mess JB has created between him, BAR/ Williams and his manager Martin Brundle.
I like the fact that he is so blunt and direct. Because Frank Williams is not one to beat around the bush or suger coat anything. It's refreshing to see a driver respond like that to him. But I do think Jenson is being a little cry baby by acting this way. I think he should be a man and live up to his contract agreement.
LOL I *LOVE* the Jenson Buttons from sniff petrol. Heck, Jenson sniffed too much petrol himself. I still think JB is fast as hell, but this back and forth is ridiculous. However it really was Williams who started this mess by having him for a year and then "loaning" him out. All these "pre nup" agreements cause this mess.
You know what's gonna happen don't you? Button will stay with BAR, he won't win a championship, maybe a few races, Williams will become a dominant team again, then Button will want to jump ship and Frank will tell him to stuff it.
That is 100% correct. Williams lay the seeds to this mess by this differed contract stuff. For some reason that is beyond me they wanted Montoya to race alongside Ralf. But at the same time Sir Frank Williams did not want to lose Button. They were hoping to have the best of all worlds and now Williams are faced with: No engines No racers... (Webber is does not count and Nick is going away) No future potential This what happens when people get too smart for their own good. BMW had wanted a similar deal into Williams like that of McLaren and Mercedes. But Sir Williams was not ready to let go of his dear racing team. They though BMW was stuck and could not dare to make the leap into F1. Exactly similar to the situation with Button. Williams thinks that Button is stuck. But he can always cry infront of the media and the media loves a scandal.
Not so fast Williams is reported to be using the cosworth V-8 next season. If you look at engine Mfg's that have a vast data base of Naturaly Asperated V-8 pure race engines the short list is: Cosworth. Ford XB F1 engine, Ford Zetec F1 Engine, Chevy IRL Engine Ilmor. Honda IRL Engine (Yes i said Honda) Toyota. Toyota IRL Engine. Everyone else will be starting by chopping off a row of cylinders and then starting the learning curve. Considering that Cosworth has the most practical time building V-8's they just might be the most powerful engine for 2006. Williams might just be the suprise for 2006.
Is that why Williams are so desperate to get Toyota customer engines the year after that!? Lets be honest here. Cosworth V-8 engines might just might be competitive for about half a season but there is no future for them beyond supplying back marker teams. The top manufacturers will surpass anything that Cosworth has to offer in no time. If Williams had a choice today, they would gladly want to go back to their BMW partnership rather than source engines from Cosworth.
I keep hearing its Brundle.. You say he is not JB's manager....well who the hell is? name? Jenson ditched manager and advisor John Byfield over the winter, correct?
FWIW, I dont think any contract negotiations should ever take place untill the day after the last race of the season. When JPM announced he was gong to Merc when he still had a year left at BMW, I lost all respect for him. Same as JB now.
Any team is wanting to get a contract for a engine that is badged by a major Mfg. It is called sponsorship $$ Williams knows that it can get Advertising revenue by winning with a name brand engine. One thing to remember is that Cosworth is no longer a division of Ford. They are now owned by a race team owner and promoter Carl Kalkhoven(SP?). Now Cosworth can focus on 1 thing producing race engines with out having to watch every penny because the bean counters have the budget cutting axe at there necks. Yeah right, as much as Williams has been pointing the finger at BMW and BMW pointing it at Williams, They will never get together again.
One additional aspect to this is - do you really want a driver racing for you who doesn't want to be there? Not that he would purposely sacrifice his season out of spite but since he's already voiced his displeasure, would it be beneficial to have a driver at a team he doesn't like, in a car he hates, for a manager he believes strong-armed him, against another team he wants to be at but can't? I don't think I would prefer that driver in my car. Frank is doing the right thing - coax Jenson into wanting to come to him or at least accepting that he will come. Forcing the issue is probably not going to be very constructive.