Richards Won't Intervene in Button-Villeneuve Spat

BAR team principal David Richards said today that drivers Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve will be allowed to sort out their fued between themselves.

The pair were involved in a spat prior to the season and Button has been critical of Villeneuve since the Australian Grand Prix, when the Canadian pitted on the wrong lap and cost both any chance of points finishes.

Richards insisted he will let the pair sort out their differences and said: "Oh we'll have chats over this weekend, I'm sure about it, but you can't... these things have to be allowed to sort themselves out.

"You can't resolve things for people. You just have to facilitate it and try and help it go along and that's that."

Villeneuve hit back at Button on the eve of the Malaysian Grand Prix branding him "weak" and "unintelligent", but the Canadian struggled to match his teammate's performance in qualifying on Friday as they finished 15th and ninth respectively.

Despite the problems, Richards insists he will only intervene if the disagreements between the two drivers become detrimental to the performance of the Brackley-based team.

"I'm very much of the opinion that drivers should be individuals and characters in their own right," he added. "I don't believe in gagging them for some sort of corporate speak. I let them get on with things. Unless of course it goes one step too far and starts to damage the team at all.

"But at this moment in time it'll run its course and I think you guys will, I'm sure, keep stirring it up so that's how it is."