Button to leave BAR

I think Jenson is making a mistake going to WilliamsBMW. He has the chance to build BAR around him. The car is competitive and doing much better compared to the BMW.

I think announcement is going to cause turmoil in the BAR team, for the remainder of the season. BAR should let him go and bring in David Coulthard for 2005. They [BAR] shouldn't waste their time, money, effort on this legal battle.

So what are you thoughts? Plus do you think Button moved for the money or because he genuinely feels the BMW outfit has a better chance of winning the title next year?

 

DC has had many chances to win in the williams and mc laren back then and couldn't do it. he wasn't even in contention in superior cars. how can he win a WC in an improving BAR? DC is a waste of time for BAR. Promote Anthony Davidson. I prefer Jarno Trulli. The guy maybe a puss but he has the speed to win.

imo, JB moved to williams for the money. most things come down to money. this is the same thing.

I don't think BAR should put up a legal battle for JB. if he wants to go, let him go and use the time and resources to find another driver. JB might be good but I don't think he is WC material. He can be consistent staying with the front runners but when he is behind, he doesn't have the speed to catch up and pass the leaders for the win. He is the Damon Hill type, good when ahead but can't pass when behind.

 

NE1 think they are the same guy????

Why does talnet migrate towards these two old school fellows???

 

REASONS 4 LEAVING

JB and super mario t @ bmw...
CARE AND FEEDING FROM SIR FRANK...

LOL

 

Surprising that jensonbutton.com does not even mention the news.

 

Mika Hakkinen and BAR Honda have held initial discussions regarding a possible racing return for the 1998 and 1999 World Champion according to French AFP sources.

The news broke today, less than 24-hours after BMW Williams announced that current BAR driver Jenson Button is to join their team in 2005, an announcement very much disputed by BAR’s boss Dave Richards.

The Hakkinen link to BAR was revealed today on his visit to Jyvaskyla during the Finnish World Rally Championship event. Rumour circulating at the rally service park is that he has already signed a contract with the team.

"There is no smoke without fire," Hakkinen told Finnish Television. "I don't want to say more at the moment. Suffice to say the discussions with BAR are particularly interesting."

Should Williams achieve their aim and Button does move to the team for next season, the seat alongside Takuma Sato is up for grabs. Mika Hakkinen joins the list of many drivers, including test driver Anthony Davidson, who would love a shot at driving for BAR Honda.

E.A.
Source AFP

This is not a PIPE DREAM!!!

Drivers at BAR next year will be Anthony Davidson and Mika Hakkinen

 

imperial83,

What you just wrote about Hakkinen possibly going to BAR looks to be true. But before they sign him, they will let him test drive a F1 car to make sure he's still fast.

Trulli , has he signed with Toyota yet? I don't think so.
Maybe Jacques Villeneuve could end up with Toyota?

 

John, I'm gonna have you banned for life at FoQ....enough with JV!!!!!

 

HIS WORK IS SHOWING NOW , AND NOT GETING CREDIT FOR IT , THAT CAR WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE AND WAS ALWAYS ON THE LIMIT, EVEN PUTTING HIS LIFE ON THE LINE .

 

No! not FoQ!

 

There's one thing I don't understand and that is.... Jenson still has a contract with BAR for next year. Can he just leave?

Dave Richards must feel like ****..
Last year JV was bugging M.Richards and this year its JB who decides to leave the team next year without saying a word to Dave Richards.


Button goes to Williams. (is it a bad move?)
Right now ..yeah its a bad move but if Williams BMW improve their cars, he has a better chance winning a WC.

Now if BAR are planning to bring DC as a no-1 driver for the team, they're going nowhere.
They will do better if they keep Sato or if they go get Heidfeld.
Is Hakkinen better than DC at this moment? Who knows?

 

This move could seriously damage Button if the BMW Williams fails to compete with the Ferrari next year and the BAR Honda continues to make significant progress. BAR can survive this by partnering Sato with a more seasoned driver like David Couthard. Only time and podiums will tell...

 

Tifosi12 was the first person here that put light on the possibility of Hakkinen. So the credit goes to him.

JVs chances of coming back are between slim and nothing. Sorry, slim just left the building! Too many potential new drivers that are waiting in wings to get an F1 seat. Toyota will most probably end up with Trulli. DC goes to Jaguar.

 

Anyone that seriously really thinks the BAR Honda team could actually compete for the world championship next year is living in a fantasy.

The only reason why they look so good this year is because:
1. McLaren and BMW Williams are having one of the worst years they have had in a long time.
2. Jenson Button is driving his heart out.
3. The British media are looking for some competition for Ferrari. So by providing over exposure to BAR the hype continues to grow.

McLaren are already showing signs of a comeback and Sir Frank Williams is going to be more determined to develop a competitive than ever with not 1, but 2 potential world champions driving for his team.

David Richards needs to stop wasting everyone's time and BAR's time with legal and PR battles. Concentrate on keeping the current BAR car competitive enough to get 2nd or 3rd place in the world champioship this year. It may be as close as BAR gets to a world championship ever.

 

His slow death continues.....

 

I agree. Suprised no one brought it up sooner.

 

Well, we simply don't have enough data. RB hasn't race against a teammate of note lately besides Schumacher, and Schumacher hasn't raced against the remaining 6 drivers in the top 4 teams. Any argument to say he is #2 or #8 is purely subjective and based on feeling. Getting #2 in the championship with the best car isn't really an achievement...

 

Damn, once again.....very true.

 

It's not his work it's the work of the 400 people that work at BAR. In his
last year of racing JB out qualified and out raced him. If JV is such a great
driver how come nobody wants him.Not even his old employer Williams even
when they had two race seats available. If JV is such a great team builder why didn't Toyota hire him.

 

Does this mean my "Button Up" t-shirt should be retired?

 

LISTEN I'AM NOT SAYING HIS A GREAT DRIVER, I'AM NOT EVEN A FAN OF HIS THAT FACT THAT JB WANTS TO LEAVE BAR IS TELLING ME THAT BAR DO NOT TREAT THEIR DRIVERS RIGHT, AND THEY DESERVE WHAT THEIR GETTING THATS ALL, MAYBE JB SAW WHAT THEY DID TO JV AND WANTS OUT, IT'S NOT THE MONEY, BAR WILL PAY, IT'S NOT THE CAR, IT MUST BE THE ORG;

 

Assuming that Button is "allowed" to leave BAR and race for Williams in '05 what will happen to him NOW???

I mean, there are still F1 races to run before Button switches to Williams, right??....How can he possibly contuniue to race with BAR after the news?? (it's not exactly an ammicable split)....And if they try to work it out via the legal system, that could take months...If he drives for BAR during the next race, I won't be suprised if his engine blows up on the first lap and for the rest of the season for that matter...Or maybe he's take a long vacation until his contract is worked out.

I think he's made a mistake by jumping ship and not even willing to talk to his boss, Richards or BAR after all they did for him and his career for the last 2 years....If he wanted to join Williams that's fine but do it after the '04 season is over and do it in a professional way....By avoiding to talk to anyone at BAR and Richards, the man who put so much trust in him, I think that's a big insult and very unfair....Let's not forget Button was the laughing stock of F1 up until late last year with NO PODDIUM finished and only a playboy tag next to his name....All of a sudden this year, after a few good races, he's compared to Michael Schumacher as the next F1 champion!!!....We don't have to look very far - everyone was talking about Kimi the start of the '04 season but look at him now...Big failure this year and not so graceful in loosing....The same could very easily happen to Jenson in '05...Williams hasn't shown much of anything this year and past glory days may or many not return....

I personally think J. Button is a very talented driver who was on a mission this year to prove his worth....He has performed great given the Honda engine limitation and he probably felt that BAR will never develop a top-notch F1 car....And he's probably right....However, I'm very dissapointed with the un-professional way he's switching teams, "burning all the bridges", and going after the big bucks and fame....

Best of luck JB

 

I agree with several of the comments you make about Button, but none of us know what is actually going on, we are just guessing and making assumptions from what we pick up in the press, TV etc. Like everything else in life, ultimately you have to do what you think is right. This is big business after all.

 

good post goyal99 and very true.

Look at the way Webber left his team with no animosity and the team wishing him the best and he reciprocating saying how hard it is to leave a team after developing strong relationships. You don't imagine Jaguar giving him a dud car for the rest of the season even though he is leaving.

Good ol' champagne charlie Button will get his come uppense as I see him fading quickly when he has to share a car with someone with a no nonsense attitude and a desire to win that is way beyond Buttons

 

I cannot believe that Jensen would go back to the team that blew him off for JPM. I really like Jensen and when he was with Williams I bought a williams BMW watch. Now I will be able to wear it again with pride. Ralf is a good driver but JPM really hurt my outlook of the team. This really makes the grid screwed up for next year too.
I can see DC going to BAR instead of Jaguar, because they will still suck Stewart Ford wasn't a bad team why did they make all those changes anyway? Ford really needs to throw down with a really good team in the next couple of years to represent the USA. But what ever happened with that RED Bull Challange? I thought they were looking for a great US driver?