By Phil Huff (04/03/2004)
March 4 2004

Jenson Button faced the press at Melbourne today, with questions about his BAR Honda, his hopes for 2004, 4x4 driving, and second hand car sales. He also had to endure endless questioning about a potential move to Williams. Here's what he had to say... Q: The tyre company has to compromise to look after all you guys on Michelins whereas they [Bridgestone] can specialise looking after [Ferrari]. What are your feelings about that, Jenson?

Jenson Button: I think we're very happy with the situation. As Juan said, nobody's that reliable at the start of the season. Throughout the winter, you're never going to have 100 per cent reliability, or what you want. So it's great that there are so many top teams able to test different things, and I think that is very important.

Q: A new situation for you in the team, in that it can be said you're the old boy in the team now. Does that change things very much for you?

JB: It has done. I think it's just a natural progression really over the winter. I've just had more feed back and more input, whereas last year when Jacques was around, he was obviously very opinionated as we all know, but it was a good thing, because he would push very hard for new parts on the car, whereas I would sit back a little bit more. But I've learned from him that you really do need to push, even when there aren't any problems, you've really got to keep the whole team on their toes and that's where I've been working very hard this winter.

Q: So in that way, you feel you've changed, you're a bit more demanding?

JB: Yeah, definitely, a lot more demanding.

Q: And Takuma's contribution? What is that?

JB: He's been doing a good job. I think it helped that he was racing in the last race of last year in Suzuka. He seems to be confident, and doing a good job in testing.

Q: What about Anthony, what's going to his contribution as third driver tomorrow?

JB: Well, we're lucky that we've got a third car... well, it depends which way you look at it really. We finished fifth last year. But he's going to do a lot of miles tomorrow when we're not going to be doing as much. We can save the engine a little bit more, which I think is going to help us over the weekend. So yeah, I think you'll see Anthony out on the circuit more than anybody tomorrow.

Q: And of course, he's not only competitive and quick but also, he's been around for a long time and done a lot of testing.

JB: He has. He's been involved with team for a long time. In testing, he's been quick, especially over long distance runs and his feedback's very good so he's good part of the team.

Q: Would you say that in terms of the third drivers, he's probably going to be the most useful?

JB: Definitely, definitely the most useful.

Q: So what difference is that going to make to the team, then?

JB: As I said, it's great to have three cars and he's able to do a lot more laps, so I think it's really going to help us when we get to the weekend. He can do all the long running on Friday, whereas other teams won't be able to do that so much, or some teams, anyway.

Q: You really are going to be saving the engines tomorrow?

JB: I don't think you're going to see many cars going round and doing 40 or 45 laps in practice. I think everyone's going to be a little bit cautious, especially being the first race.

Q: Is it going to change the hierarchy, the fact that you can do more work on the day that you've got to decide on the tyres? Can you see that happening?

JB: Oh yeah, definitely. I think people will be watching us, because I think we will be strong this season so I think that the top four teams will be interested, especially the three Michelin teams.

Q: You seem to have been quick at three or four tests, really substantially quicker on some days. They have been low fuel days I understand...

JB: Yes

Q: ...but it's not worth that much is it?

JB: The car's strong. It's a nice car to drive, it's very stable and that gives you confidence. Also, when you make a change, you can really feel the difference with the car which is good and I think that we've made a good step forward. I still don't know where we are compared to the top teams, but hopefully we're a lot closer than what we were last year.

Q: Is it a huge advance compared to last year's car?

JB: Yeah, it's a very good step forward. But again, it hasn't been one big step, it's been throughout the winter, we've been improving. We had the interim concept car and then the 006 is again, it's just little steps but it seemed to work for us.

Q: If you were not involved in motor sport in any way, what job or profession would you like to do?

JB: I'll be a secondhand car salesman. (Laughter)

Q: Is that what you want to do?

JB: No, that's what my old man was. No, it would have to be something pretty crazy I think. I don't know what.

Q: You're the only driver who has driven on the track in Bahrain. Do you think you're going to have any advantage on the other drivers? (Some laughter)

JB: Not really, because there wasn't any tarmac there. (More laughter). If we were racing a 4x4, then maybe. But it was very interesting to go there and have a look at the facilities and the layout of the circuit, so it was a great visit for me but no, I don't think it's going to help me in circuit experience.

Q: You're sitting next to a guy who's leaving Williams at the end of the year and going to McLaren – I know you don't want to answer this question – but there's a lot of speculation that you might take his seat. What will it take to keep you at BAR? If you are halfway through the year and you're sixth in the World Championship, are you going to stay at BAR?

JB: I don't have a choice.

Q: There's no performance clause?

JB: If I'm sixth in the championship I'm at BAR and that's...

Q: The team is sixth in the Constructors' championship, perhaps...

JB: (Laughter) It's difficult to say, you know. What I would like to concentrate on this year is this year.

Q: I know that, but I'm not asking you about this year. If Williams comes along and offers you a pile of money to go and drive Juan's car are you going to take it?

JB: The most important thing for me as I said is this year and no decision will ever be made until part of the way through this season and if I don't perform this year, it doesn't really make any difference and if our team doesn't perform or Williams don't perform, we won't be having this discussion. I really don't know what's going to happen. It's a decision we're going to have to make when we get to the time. At the moment, I'm not thinking about that at all. Not interested at the moment.

Q: Do you think you could be World Champion in 2005 with BAR?

JB: I think there's a chance, yes. The amount of progress we've made over this winter, not just through lap time but also as a team, we've really moved forward. I think it's possible.

Q: Do think you could be World Champion in 2005 with Williams?

JB: Not if I'm at BAR! (Laughter)

Q: Just to make it even more painful, Jenson, to follow on from that: isn't it inconceivable, though, if you had a choice between BAR, even if it's on the rise, and Williams... BAR in the near term future is never going to be a Williams is it?

JB: We don't know, nobody knows. The only people who know are involved and we know the amount of improvement we've made over this winter, it's been huge, and we don't 100 per cent know how we're going to compare against the top teams, but I think we're going to be very strong. So if you ask me in six or eight races time I'll probably have a slightly better answer but not much.

Q: I'm a bit incredulous, so excuse me but if you were offered a drive, if it came, the opportunity to go to Williams in your career, could you really say no?

JB: You could if they weren't the top team, yeah. I want to win the World Championships and I want to do it... it doesn't matter how I do it really, I want to be World Champion, but I would rather do it with BAR because I've really built a good team around me, I think.

Q: Jacques Villeneuve was a great character, the outlaw of Formula One drivers, you worked with him, you saw him off, so basically you killed his career (Laughter) so do you miss him, did you like having him around?

JB: Yeah. The start of the season I didn't really because he said a few things, but I did also. But he was a good teammate. He was very opinionated as I've said before, but he really got the job done and he pushed the team very very hard for improvement so yes, he was a very good teammate, but things move on and I'm very happy having Takuma as a teammate. I think he's really done a good job over the winter and he deserves to be in the team.

Q: Last year Honda had a lot of unreliability in the car. This year, you have a very good chassis but what about the engine?

JB: In the winter, in November and December, we were fine, we seemed to be very reliable, not only with the engine but also with the car. But in January we did have a few problems with the reliability but we've improved dramatically with that in the last few tests, we've had no major problems, so I think we're looking strong.