Williams Confirm Button will Drive for BAR

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The Williams Formula One team have officially confirmed that Jenson Button will drive for BAR next season, as exclusively revealed by Autosport.

Williams said they had reached an agreement to release Button from his contractual commitment to the team for 2006 and beyond.

"As consideration for the release from the terms of his contract, Jenson has agreed a financial settlement with WilliamsF1," Williams said in a statement.

Button was thankful to team boss Frank Williams.
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Read More: http://www.autosport-atlas.com/news.aspx?id=47109&s=5
 
Its thought that Button bought himself out of the Williams contract for £17 ($25M) but will sign a 5 year deal with BAR for £/$ (?) 10M per year.
 
digitalwanderer said:
What is "BAR", and if you didn't know anything about racing this thread has got one weird-assed title! :???:
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BAR is Honda (isn't it...? havent followed since the fall of the King)
 
Glad this is sorted out. Williams are better off without him. Button is talented, but not that talented, and has shown himself to be a bit of an asshole throughout this debacle and the similar contract stuff from last year. No doubt if BAR struggle next year he'll be trying to worm his way out of his new contract, and get a seat with McLaren or Renault.
 
BAR is "British American Racing" which was founded by "British American Tabacco". A few years ago Honda bought a stake in BAR, however now that the UK/European tabacco legistlation has come in and effectively cut off any Tabacco advertising appearing BAR can no longer run with any BAT product logos and it is expected that the remaining stake in BAR will also be sold.
 
london-boy said:
BAR IS Honda then!! :D

Man i'm in the wrong business... Might be a dangerous sport, but man these guys are rich...
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IIRC, Honda has 49 or 50 percent ownership of BAR. As the original owners (British American Tabacco) can no longer advertise in F1, it seems likely that at some point BAR will become a full works Honda team.
 
Dave Baumann said:
Its thought that Button bought himself out of the Williams contract for £17 ($25M) but will sign a 5 year deal with BAR for £/$ (?) 10M per year.
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Yes.
 
london-boy said:
BAR IS Honda then!! :D

Man i'm in the wrong business... Might be a dangerous sport, but man these guys are rich...
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BAR is "British-American Racing" and uses Honda engines currently. All teams except the branded ones (Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault) buy engines from someone else, they make none themselves.
 
This is old news . .just to inform people about the BAT/Honda associaction.

The BAR Formula One team intend to run all season with tobacco branding despite uncertainty about their legal position after a European Union ban comes into force in August.

The team, runners-up in the Constructors' Championship last year, are 55 percent owned by British American Tobacco and 45 percent by engine partner Honda. A directive banning tobacco advertising in the European Union applies from the end of July.

However, legislation in Britain, where BAR and BAT are based, goes further and could expose the team to prosecution if the tobacco branding on their cars is broadcast back into the country even from non-EU races.

"On tobacco branding on the car, that is a complicated subject," said team boss Nick Fry at the unveiling of the Honda-powered 2005 challenger at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. "Clearly for races in the EU, we cannot advertise on the car beyond July of this year.

"The complexity is with the British government interpretation of the rules and one interpretation might be that for races outside the European Union if pictures of the car are transmitted back to the UK, then that wouldn't be allowed.

"We do not believe that the British government ever intended that," he added. "As a consequence of that, at the moment it is our intention and our belief that we can continue to advertise (outside the EU) on the car beyond July and through to the end of 2006."

No Clarification

Fry said BAR had repeatedly asked the British government for clarification of the local legislation.

"So far, they have failed to respond with a clear picture. And so the only option that we have at this moment is to continue with our interpretation of what we think they want or meant," he said.

Fry said that the continued funding of the team, founded by BAT in 1999 with substantial investment since, was not in jeopardy whatever the outcome.

"British American Tobacco's commitment to this team is absolute and so we expect continuity," he said. "The funding that comes through tobacco sponsorship and British American Tobacco's equity and funding of the team as a company are two totally separate things.

"Our funding is assured so there is no risk whatsoever to the team and the amount it takes to run."

There has been speculation that Honda, who now run the team as a joint venture with BAT, are planning ultimately to take total control should the tobacco giant quit. Shoichi Tanaka, president of Honda Racing Development, would not rule that out.

"The message that we want to deliver is that Honda will stay in Formula One and win the world championship, whatever form of construction of the shareholding," he said. "We will stay and achieve the objective and if there is no other solution than that we take 100 percent, that is quite feasible."
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Bouncing Zabaglione Bros. said:
IIRC, Honda has 49 or 50 percent ownership of BAR. As the original owners (British American Tabacco) can no longer advertise in F1, it seems likely that at some point BAR will become a full works Honda team.
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It's a 40% stake. Same as Mercedes have with TAG-McLaren. :)
 
I wonder how Barrichello will feel playing second fiddle to Button instead of Shumacher. He used to brag that he was just as good as Shumacher, but I doubt he can even keep up with Button.
 
_xxx_ said:
He's nowhere near those two.
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I know, but he likes to think he is.

Frankly, I think he is a career second driver. He's not good enough to compete for the #1 spot on a team, but he's able to consistently finsih in the points, assuming he has an excellent car.


I don't think Button is anywhere close to Shumacher, at least not close to Shumacher when he was in his prime. A lot of the younger F1 fans don't remember MS winning the World Champinionship driving the clearly inferior Benetton, but I vividly remember him twice winning the championship when the Williams was clearly the best car on the track.
 
Powderkeg said:
A lot of the younger F1 fans don't remember MS winning the World Champinionship driving the clearly inferior Benetton, but I vividly remember him twice winning the championship when the Williams was clearly the best car on the track.
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And later when McLaren had the best car also :)
 
Powderkeg said:
A lot of the younger F1 fans don't remember MS winning the World Champinionship driving the clearly inferior Benetton, but I vividly remember him twice winning the championship when the Williams was clearly the best car on the track.
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I think Michael's most impressive years were 1995-2000. His win at Spain 1996 was an absoulte masterclass. His car was nothing compared to the dominat William-Renault. It was monsoon rain, he had an appalling start - falling down to 8th. He then worked his way up to take the lead, lapping 4-7s/lap faster than anyone else. On top of that his engine was dying, it had already lost 2 cylinders.

I think anyone who doubts MS's calibre should watch that race.

New fan ignorance is nothing new. Same happened with Senna.
 
avaya said:
His win at Spain 1996 was an absoulte masterclass. His car was nothing compared to the dominat William-Renault. It was monsoon rain, he had an appalling start - falling down to 8th. He then worked his way up to take the lead, lapping 4-7s/lap faster than anyone else. On top of that his engine was dying, it had already lost 2 cylinders.
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How about at Spain in 1994 when his car got stuck in 5th gear half way through the race, and he still finished 2nd?
 
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