21/09/2005
NEWS STORY
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BAR Honda is delighted to confirm that Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will be racing together for the team in 2006. After three successful years with BAR Honda, Jenson and the team have concluded a multi-year extension to his current contract. From 2006 he will partner Rubens, who will join BAR Honda on 1 January and whose place within the team was confirmed last month.
Nick Fry, BAR Honda Chief Executive Officer: "We are delighted to be able to confirm our 2006 race driver line-up. We can now put the uncertainty of the past few months behind us and focus on the future, which looks very exciting indeed. We have made no secret of the fact that we wanted Jenson Button to remain with BAR Honda for the next few years and that we considered Jenson and Rubens to be our dream line-up for 2006 and beyond.
"Takuma Sato has been an extremely valuable and much-liked member of our team for four years in the roles of test driver, third driver and, latterly, race driver. He has made an enormous contribution to BAR Honda's development. Takuma's current contract reaches its conclusion at the end of 2005 but BAR Honda is in discussions with Takuma and his management regarding possibilities for the future."
Sporting Director Gil de Ferran: "I am very pleased that our team will feature one of the strongest driver line-ups in Formula One for 2006 and beyond. I know both Rubens and Jenson well and I have every confidence that they will work well together to develop our car and team whilst competing strongly at the race track. I have enjoyed working with Taku over the past year and I wish him well for the future."
Jenson Button: "I'm obviously delighted to confirm that I will be staying with BAR Honda for the next few years. Since I joined the team in 2003 we've shared some important moments in my career and the team's history. There are many more goals for us to achieve together - not least of all winning the World Championship. I want to be at BAR Honda to see that happen - and I believe that it will happen. 2005 has been a challenging year but we've bounced back from our problems and the team is much stronger as a result. I also have a new team-mate in Rubens Barrichello and I look forward to the two of us pushing each other, and working together to keep driving the team forward.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the Team, at Honda and our tyre partner Michelin for their support over the past three years. The effort that has gone into building this team into what it is today has been relentless. It's been a privilege to be a part of BAR Honda and I am delighted that I will be part of its future. I look forward to achieving our next goal - our first win together - in the very near future."