British Button good for BAR

Jenson Button is giving the patriotic BAR team a great boost according to boss David Richards, as they are pleased to have a British driver on board. Button is the first Brit to drive for the British based team, which will motivate all concerned.

Jenson Button is giving the patriotic BAR team a great boost according to boss David Richards, as they are pleased to have a British driver on board. Button is the first Brit to drive for the British based team, which will motivate all concerned. Richards explained that although he liked Olivier Panis, whom Button replaced, changes needed to be made.

Jenson Button and David Richards.

Photo by British American Racing.

"I have a huge respect and a great liking for Olivier Panis -- he was a great team member -- but we needed to make some changes to certain aspects of the team," Richards told the BAR website. "The injection of Jenson, a British element to a British based team, has lifted everyone around the organization and the atmosphere is very positive."

"Inevitably we are all patriotic in our own individual ways and to be able to lean over the fence and say to your neighbour: 'I work for the team that runs Jenson Button and we're helping him to run Grands Prix', will be a very motivational issue for all of our team members."

BAR appears to be focusing the majority of its hopes on Button for the future; Richards has already said he thinks the young Brit can win the title with BAR if the team gives him the right car. Jacques Villeneuve, meanwhile, is not getting the same kind of enthusiasm from his boss.

Villeneuve must be suffering under Richards' constant talking-up of Button and has said he is insulted that the media are comparing him to his new team mate on an equal level. The former champion's contract with BAR is up at the end of this year and neither Villeneuve or the team are likely to want to renew it.