Button and Barrichello to Get Equal Status
BAR boss Nick Fry has made it clear that Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button will be guaranteed equal status next season now that their 2006 partnership has been confirmed
Although BAR are set to compensate Button for the money he has to pay Williams in order to be released from his commitments there, Fry said that it does not mean the Briton is number one at the outfit.
"We don't have number one and number two drivers," the team principal in a team press conference prior to this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix. "We can give both drivers exactly the same equipment and support and they will be pulling together and fighting hard on the track."
Fry has also paid tribute to Button's attitude - claiming that the team was so desperate to hold onto him because of his driving skills and the way he conducts himself off the track.
"We are extremely pleased Jenson is staying for two reasons - he is a very good driver but also he is a team player. We have been trying to build the best team of people and Jenson has been an integral part of that.
"The other important thing is I am convinced Jenson and Rubens will work very well together. Their combination of skills will work well and their characters are well suited, so I am sure they will be competitive.
"The drivers are a very important part of the future and having them in place for a good few years is important. We have outstanding teamwork and this year has been exceptional on all levels."
Fry points out the example of how Button kept his head during the team's difficult start to the year - which included a two-race ban for running underweight and a disastrous run of mechanical failures.
"At the start of the year we had problems, but the back-up was outstanding and the support Jenson has had is typical," added Fry. "Also, the way he has managed to concentrate on his driving has been impressive, a lot of others would have been distracted more by this."
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