Webber Wants Button at Williams
Mark Webber has dismissed speculation he could leave Williams and says he pushed hard for the Formula One team to sign Briton Jenson Button
"I'm staying here next year," the Australian said at the Turkish Grand Prix, where he qualified seventh for Sunday's first race at the new Istanbul Park circuit.
Media reports had suggested that Webber, managed by Renault team boss Flavio Briatore, could trade places with that Championship-leading team's Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella.
Webber said he would welcome Button's arrival. The Briton is trying to extricate himself from the contract he agreed last year with Williams so he can stay at Honda-backed BAR.
"I pushed very hard to get Nick (Heidfeld) here, very hard," he said of the German signed by Williams for this year.
"I pushed very hard to get Jenson here as well. It's the best for the team to have two strong guys, it's good for the sponsors and the results at the end of the day.
"If you are really, really strong you can win the constructors' (title) with one and a half cars but it's not easy to do that. You need two strong cars doing the business which BAR don't have at the moment."
Button has scored all but one of BAR's points this season, with Japanese driver Takuma Sato scoring his first point only at the last race in Hungary. The Honda-backed team have signed Brazilian Rubens Barichello from Ferrari for 2006.
Williams will have a Cosworth engine next year, ending their increasingly difficult partnership with BMW who are buying the Sauber team.
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About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Jenson Button , Mark Webber |
| Teams | Williams |
| Author | Alan Baldwin |
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