Button defends Williams move
Button defends Williams moveRuthless decision making from Button
Jenson Button insisted Sunday he had not 'betrayed' BAR-Honda by agreeing to drive for Formula One rivals BMW Williams next season.
The 24-year-old British driver said his only reason for moving was because he believed Williams offered him the best chance of claiming his first world championship.
"It's 100 percent untrue that I am changing teams for money," Button told British tabloid the Mail on Sunday.
"You don't get to become world champion by taking the easy, most comfortable route. Sometimes, you need to take a ruthless decision. The team that is going to give me the best chance of winning the world championship next year is Williams."
"Obviously, I have been to Williams and looked at their resources and they are fantastic. The amount of effort they are putting into next year's car is evident. It is too much of an opportunity to miss."
"I could stay at BAR and I would be happy - but this comes down to one question: do I want to win the world championship? The answer to that is it has been my ambition since I came to F1 - and I think I can do that with Williams."
"I understand that the guys at BAR might find that a hard judgement, but I have fulfilled my contract, had some great times, and now I feel I have to move on to do what is best for me."
"I have not betrayed the team but I know it will still not be easy walking into the BAR garage in Hungary this week but, hopefully, they will understand in time."
However BAR maintain Button's deal with Williams is invalid and their team manager, Dave Richards, said Friday they intended to challenge the legality of his proposed move.
"Jenson is under contract with BAR for 2005, since we took up an option on his services only last month," Richards said. "It is our intention to enforce our current contractual position with Jenson."
"Unfortunately this is now a matter for the lawyers and I have every confidence that the legal process will confirm that yesterday's (Thursday's) announcement has not only been premature but also invalid."
The timing of Button's announcement was curious as it has been in a BAR car this season where he has emerged as one of the main leaders of the pack chasing Ferrari champion Michael Schumacher.
Button, who made his start in Formula One with Williams in 2000, hailed his second place behind Schumacher in the standings leader's native Germany last month as his best performance after he was forced to drive one-handed towards the end of the race because of a problem with his helmet.
Button is currently third in the drivers' championship behind first- placed Schumacher and Ferrari's second driver Rubens Barrichello.
Source AFP
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