CRB Button hearing adjourned

The Contract Recognition Board (CRB) hearing of the Jenson Button/BAR/Williams case has been adjourned until October 16th. The CRB met today for a preliminary examination of the contracts in Paris but any further decisions will not be made until October in Milan.

Jenson Button.

Photo by Brousseau Photo.

Williams announced in early August that Button had signed for the team for 2005 and beyond, a move that surprised many. BAR, the Englishman's current team, immediately refuted Williams' contract with Button and declared it had already picked up Jenson's option for next season.

A series of claims and denials followed, along with behind-the-scenes discussions in an attempt to resolve the matter. However, a settlement between the two teams could not be found and the matter was passed into the hands of the CRB.

Button said that 'contractual issues' between himself and BAR had caused problems since the end of 2003. Despite BAR's much improved performances this season, he believes that Williams can offer him a better chance of winning the championship in the future.