21/10/2004
NEWS STORY
Much like a celebrity couple that has agreed to give the failing marriage 'one more try', Jenson Button and David Richards met the press today, and went through the whole range of smiles and handshakes for the cameras.
Following the Contract Recognition Board's (CRB) decision to uphold BAR's contract with Button for 2005, the Englishman has agreed to stay with the Brackley outfit for another year, seeing out his contract.
Today, less than 24-hours after the CRB made its findings public, Richards and Button met the media.
"As far as I'm concerned the team is committed to Jenson and no financial issue was ever going to change our minds," said Richards. "I made that very clear to Frank from an early stage."
Button, who has made no secret of his desire to return to WilliamsF1, the team that brought him into F1, made it clear that the CRB's decision is not what he wanted to hear.
"I'm not going to lie, it is a little bit disappointing," he said. "But you can't have everything in life. I think if you look at the last few months, with the difficult situation within the team, we've still been able to have some very good results. I think if we all stay focused for next season we can still have a very good year."
When the news that Button had signed a contract with WilliamsF1 first broke, there followed a period of unease, during which both Richards and Button's management made full use of media contacts. However, for the sake of the team, these issue were put to one side as the Brackley outfit attempted to consolidate its runner-up spot in the constructors' championship.
"Relationships sometimes go through ups and downs," said Richards. "Probably at the end of the day we've come out stronger as a result of the situation, we'll certainly be more open and frank with each other than we ever have been before.
"There's no getting away from the fact that the situation has a bit of repairing to do behind it," he admitted. "There's no hiding from that. We've seen the issues, we've aired a lot of them in public between both of us."
Fully aware of his driver's disappointment, Richards insists that Button is in the right seat for 2005, and possibly beyond, now he has to convince his driver.
"We've got to convince Jenson quite clearly," he said. "I say we can deliver. There must be question marks over that. But now we are committed to working together to make sure that happens next year."
First pictures from Interlagos, click here