Williams watching BAR battle

Much has been made of the supposed feuding between Jacques Villeneuve and Jenson Button at BAR over the winter and, like many, eponymous team boss Frank Williams is eager to see how the battle translates to the track. Both Villeneuve and Button drove for Williams, the Canadian taking his world title with the team in 1997 and Button debuting in F1 with Williams in 2000.

Frank Williams gave both drivers their start in F1 and is a big fan of the pair of them but is concerned about how Button will cope with the mental battles: "I am a great fan of Jenson but I do worry about his mental strength. Jacques is a pretty tough individual and frightened of no one," he told the British press.

"This year is crucial to both of them. Jenson is a natural but he didn't do himself any favours at Renault in 2001 and last season Jarno Trulli got the better of him. I'm also a big fan of Jacques and can't wait to see how things work out."

The sniping between Button and Villeneuve is mostly confined to the Canadian's frequent outbursts and BAR boss David Richards shrugs it off as nothing more than the usual antics between drivers: "I think if it's managed properly it can be regarded as healthy competition," he said in a recent interview when asked about the situation.

"It's mostly come from Jacques' side, and Jacques is renowned for his forthright views and speaks his mind about things. I asked Jenson how he was getting on, and anything between him and Jacques that I needed to be involved in, and he said: "No, not an issue, really. Jac just doesn't speak to me."

Richards hastily added that Button's comment about Villeneuve not talking to him meant they were not socially friendly, not that there was no communication at all: "Certainly when they sit down on the track they talk about the car and the development."

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