29/07/2005
NEWS STORY
Frank Williams has hit back at Jenson Button's demand that he be freed from his contract to drive for the British team in 2006.
One year ago, Button was desperately seeking legal help to assist him in his quest to join the former World Champions, twelve months later the Englishman is working hard, to ensure that he doesn't return to the Grove team, which first brought him into F1.
Talking in Hungary on Thursday, Williams made it clear that he has no intention of relenting, and appears to be extremely unhappy with the way Button has handled the affair.
"A deal is a deal. A contract is a contract," said Williams. "I must explain that to Jenson.
"I have always believed that a signature on a contract is basically underlining a man's word given in honour," he added. "We have a proper and correct contract in place that will stand up to any examination.
"I understand Jenson's concerns about his team's competitive position and our uncompetitive situation at the moment. However, teams go up and down. We shall be back, if not in the second half of this year, certainly next."
It appears that the paddock, like many race fans, is divided on the issue, some regarding Button as ungrateful and disloyal, while others say that due to the (relatively) short career of an F1 driver, he must take every opportunity with both hands. Williams remains unmoved.
"This demonstrates that when a driver says, 'Sorry, I've changed my mind', every time it suits him, there will be chaos in the paddock," he said. "Sponsors will know that some teams don't keep their word as given in signed contracts. The same applies to drivers. A deal is a deal."
Unlike 2004, when Button opted to keep quiet, in recent days the Englishman has been quite vocal, leading Williams to suspect that the media is being manipulated.
"A third party has chosen to use the press to strengthen Jenson's case, but the whole situation is much more profound than that," he said.