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[Phantom]

BBC Sport is reporting that Button has cut a deal, possibly involving up to a £20 million payment, with Williams allowing him to stay at BAR next year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4262010.stm

Good news for Button (maybe less so for his bank account) but bad news for Sato... which is good news for all the other drivers.

Gonna be great to see Button and Barrichello racing together next year.

Second confirmation - http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=34094

 

[Vennt]

Yup, and it's a good move by Button's management. (at last!)

 

[mrklaw]

wow. Never rains but it pours for williams.

Wonder how long before they can turn it around. They had the big guns a few years back. BMW backing with almost unlimited engine funding, HP one of the first non-tobacco sponsors. Now they have cosworth customer engines, no main sponsor, no Button, and bridgestone tyres!

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

They need David Richards and Prodrive back

 

[Shinobi]

Good news for Button (maybe less so for his bank account) but bad news for Sato... which is good news for all the other drivers.

:lol Poor, poor Sato...talk about going from famine to feast in short order. I guess Ferrari can relate. :lol

Jacques made a good point about Button though...how's any team supposed sign a contract with this guy, knowing he's flip-flopped so much on previous ones?

Anyway, I'd laugh out loud if Williams managed to outperform BAR next year...and before anyone laughs at that possibility, find me the person who predicted that Red Bull would be showing Williams up this year after losing Webber to them (not to mention Ford).

 

[Vennt]

Good news for Button (maybe less so for his bank account)

Nope, BAR are paying, not Button, although in a roundabout way.

(Actually, it says something fairly surprising when Button is paying this upfront, and then being reimbursed by BAR, I never reaslised he was on so much already.)

:lol Poor, poor Sato...talk about going from famine to feast in short order. I guess Ferrari can relate. :lol

Jacques made a good point about Button though...how's any team supposed sign a contract with this guy, knowing he's flip-flopped so much on previous ones?

Anyway, I'd laugh out loud if Williams managed to outperform BAR next year...and before anyone laughs at that possibility, find me the person who predicted that Red Bull would be showing Williams up this year after losing Webber to them (not to mention Ford).

In Buttons defense, and something that the teams are fully aware of, Button was suffering from some severely bad management representation and decisions, and the recent fracas has been about them trying to fix damage done long ago.

Besides, Button still wouldn't be seen as one of the sports worst prima-donna's, and if he continues to provide results and good driving no-one is going to care except during his contract negotiations.

Button will suffer for his trust put in his management, and for his decisions whenever he's at the negotiating table, there is no doubt about that though, but whilst he is capable of a challenging drive he will find a table to negotiate at.

 

[Shinobi]

Hey I hope so, I like Button a lot...and I hope his management team has been primarily responsible for these fucked up decisions the last few years. Button's had a pretty good second half of the season, so hopefully he and BAR can transplant that into next year. The more competitive drivers and cars, the better for F1.

 

[Timbuktu]

Looks like Williams is dying now with Button jumping ship, HP pulling out and BMW starting their own team.

 

[Koshiro]

Good news for Button (maybe less so for his bank account) but bad news for Sato... which is good news for all the other drivers.

:lol :lol :lol

I am surprised that Button gets to stay though, Button + Rubens? Wow.