Jenson has the potential insists Richards

The next Brit champ?
By pitpass.com (29/12/2003)
December 29 2003

Lucky Strike BAR Honda team principal David Richards has issued a stark hands-off warning to teams thinking of courting his star driver Jenson Button, insisting that the English youngster can become World Champion, and he'll do it with the Brackley outfit.

In recent months there has been growing speculation regarding the possibility of Button returning to WilliamsF1 in 2005, indeed pitpass.com and BAR-Talk were among the first to predict the move, however Richards rubbishes such talk.

"It's a compliment to Jenson and also to us that there is so much speculation about Williams and other teams wanting him," he told British tabloid the Sunday Mirror. "It shows what an exceptional driver Jenson is and proves our judgment was sound. We could see his capabilities all along and now everyone else can.

"We signed Jenson because we were convinced he had the potential to become world champion," he continued, "and we're committed to giving him that opportunity. Jenson is going nowhere because he has no reason to leave. He can realise his ambitions with us."

In fact Button previously admitted to pitpass editor Chris Balfe that there exists a clause which forbids him talking about any long-term contract he might have with the Grove outfit that brought him into the first place. Since then several well-placed sources have insisted that the deal is already done and that the English youngster will return to WilliamsF1 for 2005.

"Jenson settled very quickly into the team," he added, "and it is clearly an environment he responds to. I believe we can get the best out of him. He has four years' experience in F1, but he is still very young. He can only get better.

"He not only has the ability but also the application and temperament. He's not fazed by anything. He showed that with Jacques," said Richards, referring to Button's former team-mate Jacques Villeneuve who was regularly out-classed by the English youngster in 2003, though the Canadian had more than his fair share of technical problems.

"There's no question in my mind that he's a future world champion," added Richards.

"I am certain you will see a significant improvement in our performance next year," Richards continued, referring to the much-anticipated BAR 006, "and then we expect to be challenging the familiar contenders in 2005."

This article was written by pitpass.com and is used with permission.