F1 Shock horror. . . . . Button moves to Williams

[Gloomy]

Re:: F1 Shock horror. . . . . Button moves to Williams

yeah quite a surprising move. But David Richards gets what he deserved after threating Villeneuve so badly last year. He'll have to explain a lot to the sponsors in my opinion.

Actually, the move is quite logic. Jenson is doing a great job this year so he deserves a top team. But Williams is doing really badly this year so if Jenson will be better at Williams, we'll have to see.
But speculations are really getting out of hand now: even Hakkinen is signaled as a possible BAR driver for next year. What will happen next? Schumacher retiring?

Anyway, as a Villeneuve fan, I'm quite disappointed that a possible move to Williams is out of question. I think it's game-over forever for Jacques.

[Kobe]

Re:: F1 Shock horror. . . . . Button moves to Williams

Who cares, Schumacher wins everytime. I'm not going to watch it again until he retires or dies in a horrible crash in flames, whichever comes first.

Just in case you decide to edit these vile comments, I want to preserve them.

[davetlv]

Re:: F1 Shock horror. . . . . Button moves to Williams

Anyway, as a Villeneuve fan, I'm quite disappointed that a possible move to Williams is out of question. I think it's game-over forever for Jacques.

If i was a cynical man I'd say that Button is making this move to ensure Villeneuve didn't make it back into F1, especially after the grief he gave Button last year. He he he . . .

But anyway, I hope the move does go through, but we should not expect too much off of either Jenson or Williams next year. Clearly Jenson has world champion potential and so does Williams, lets hope a long term relationship will work for them both like MS and Ferrari.

[Morgan]

Re:: F1 Shock horror. . . . . Button moves to Williams

What are you all so surprised about?

Of course Button was going back to Williams, he?s a very talented driver, too good for BAR IMO, maybe in a few years when BAR have a decent car he?ll be back there. I actually though he?d been put out on loan like football players, but i was wrong.

Anyone who can get done for speeding (154 MPH) in a Diesel BMW is going places. :wink:

[phazon]

Re:: F1 Shock horror. . . . . Button moves to Williams

Who cares, Schumacher wins everytime. I'm not going to watch it again until he retires or dies in a horrible crash in flames, whichever comes first.

F1 needs a competition-element...Ow, it's a race-competition you say? Damn, I thought it was just the same movie broadcast every 2 weeks or so...

What the fuck is that about? Twat!

[MJ]

Re:: F1 Shock horror. . . . . Button moves to Williams

Of course Button was going back to Williams, he?s a very talented driver, too good for BAR IMO, maybe in a few years when BAR have a decent car he?ll be back there. I actually though he?d been put out on loan like football players, but i was wrong.

I seriously gotta disagree with ya there Morgs, look at the constructor standings so far:

1 Ferrari 184
2 Renault 85
3 BAR 76
4 Williams 47
5 McLaren 37
6 Sauber 18
7 Toyota 8
8 Jaguar 7
9 Jordan 5
10 Minardi 1

I`d say that BAR are doing a lot better than Williams this season, wouldn`t you agree? I thought he`d originaly been loaned out from Williams a few years back but i guess not to.

[davetlv]

Unless i'm mistaken, when he left Williams he was given on loan to Benatton, something to do with a contract with Williams for a few more years. His move to BAR was as a free man so to speak

[Kobe]

Those "driver on loan" agreements are always pretty shakey. Nick Heidfeld is supposedly a McLaren driver out on loan, yet it's looking like he'll never get there.

[Gloomy]

Re:: F1 Shock horror. . . . . Button moves to Williams

so true Musical Journey. No surprise they have a descent car this year as the influence of Geoff Willis is having its effect. If things continue like now, Button will finish thirth this year and BAR second with the constructors. Competing with Ferrari won't be for the near future, but if the time comes Ferrari loses its n1 position, BAR will be one of the first teams to take over the torch.
Othe other side, if Richards can't keep drivers like Button, and needs to work with a weak line-up (take Davidson - Sato), he can forget any ambitions ... ah it's a silly world I think the main issue is that Richards isn't prepared to put a lot of money on the table for a top-driver. Anyway, my hope is that the sponsers and shareholders of BAR will kick Richards out of the team. This could open a door for Villeneuve to continue the work he had been doing for 5 years for the team.

[davetlv]

Isn't one of the reasons why BAR are doing so well this year because they no longer have Villeneuve draining their resources to the tune of $20 Million?

[Gloomy]

Re:: F1 Shock horror. . . . . Button moves to Williams

^^ this has always been the official statement, but I don't believe much of it, for different reasons:

-for Richards, Villeneuve simply had to go, without further contract discussions. Richards always could have let the option open to Villeneuve: lowering his wages in favour of the team and the car, or no contract at all and trying to find another team. But no, Villeneuve out of the team was all what he wanted.

-A good car is an evolution of years, so does the BAR. With the larger budget as a result of Villeneuve's exit, it isn't possible to have results on short term. I think it's mainly thanx to Geoff Willis (with BAR since 3 years; former Williams designer btw) that BAR has the car they have now.

But ok, this discussion isn't on topic I suppose. Interesting coming weeks anyway

[Stu]

BAR are doing well predominantly on the basis of Button driving it so well. Look at Sato's results and you can see how much Jenson gets out of that car. Same with Webber with how much he's got out of a crap car.
Button has said publically that Webber is the best driver in F1 other that Schuey and that Webber could cost him a drivers title but I think Button sees Williams as a team that has a long history with F1 and has a budget that is capable of producing a car that car win titles.

The move could work against Webber, the Brits will see Button as the great English hope in a long term traditional English team and if Button shows any edge over Webber then Webber could get bumped down in priority quite quickly.

I think it virtually assures Williams of a constructors title next year, I think the attitudes and styles of both Webber & Button will result in a big performance increase for Williams-BMW next year.

I've been a fan of Williams ever since I started watching it but hate-Hate-HATE Montoya so I they lost my support over the last couple of years. The two new drivers mean that I'll have my tickets at the pit exit next year at the first race of the year in Melbourne and I'll be wearing a brand new Williams-BMW shirt for the occasion. Can't wait.