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Jenson Button had to file legal action to ensure his former team handed over his prize for winning the 2009 world championship, according to the Mail on Sunday. Button agreed to lower his salary after the Brawn takeover of Honda with a clause added to his contract that he could keep a chassis of his car if he won the championship. The clause read: "In the event that the driver wins the championship at any time during the term, the company shall transfer ... ownership of one chassis of the type driven by the driver during that winning season." The case has come to light because Button's company JB Next BV filed legal action in London's High Court in April against the Brawn. According to the Mail on Sunday report, the team refused to hand over a 2009 Brawn car to Button because there were not enough of the chassis remaining. It is believed that six BGP001 cars were made, but an email to Button from Mercedes in January reads: "We have no spare 2009 chassis as limited quantities were manufactured for the 2009 season for cost reasons." Mercedes then reportedly offered to build a replica of the BGP001 car, but Button said it would lack the "special and unique" value of owning one of the very cars he drove to the title. In the face of legal action, Brawn ultimately decided to supply a 2009 Brawn car to the now McLaren driver. "We have arrived at an amicable resolution, and so there will no longer be any court action over this," Button's spokesman confirmed. Source : ESPN

Formula One world champion Jenson Button timed his pitstop to perfection to chalk up his first win for McLaren in a rain-affected and entertaining Australian Grand Prix on Sunday. The Briton, a winner in Melbourne with Brawn GP last year, took the lead when Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, starting on pole position, was pitched into the gravel mid-race by a brake failure. "It feels so good ... Guys, amazing job, I think we got that pitstop pretty much perfect," Button, who went for an early change to slicks that proved crucial, shouted over the team radio after beating Renault's Robert Kubica by 12.034 seconds. "It was the right time. Fantastic job, this is a great way to start the year." Poland's Kubica was comfortably clear of Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa, who nosed out Spanish team mate Fernando Alonso for third. Seven times world champion Michael Schumacher finished 10th for Mercedes after being effectively ruled out of the running at the first corner. Button's left front tyre hit Alonso's right at the first turn, causing the Spaniard to spin and collide with Schumacher and break the Mercedes' front wing. Both then had to fight back from the rear. Only 14 cars finished the race as intermittent showers made tyre selection, and the timing of pitstops, a key factor on the bumpy street circuit. The safety car made an early appearance when BMW Sauber's Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi rebounded off a barrier at turn six on the first lap, crashing into Williams's German driver Nico Hulkenberg. The incident also forced Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi out. Double world champion Alonso, who won on his Ferrari debut in Bahrain last week, stayed top of the standings after two races with 37 points, in front of Massa who has 33. Button's victory allowed him to claw back to 31 in the championship race and allowed McLaren to close to 54 points, second behind Ferrari on 70 in the constructors' standings. Unofficial results from the Australian Grand Prix here today (58 laps): 1. Jenson Button (ENG/MLA) 1hr 33min 36.531sec 2. Robert Kubica (POL/REN) +12.034 3. Felipe Massa (BRA/FER) 14.488 4. Fernando Alonso (ESP/FER) 16.304 5. Nico Rosberg (GER/MER) 16.683 6. Lewis Hamilton (ENG/MLA) 29.898 7. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA/FOR) 59.847 8. Rubens Barrichello (BRA/WIL) 1min 0.536 9. Mark Webber (AUS/RBR) 1min 7.319 10. Michael Schumacher (GER/MER) 1min 9.391 11. Jaime Alguersuari (ESP/TOR) 1min 11.301 12. Pedro de la Rosa (ESP/SAU) 1min 14.084 13. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/LOT) 2 laps 14. Karun Chandhok (IND/HRT) 5 laps Not classified: Timo Glock (GER/VIR) 17 laps Lucas Di Grassi (BRA/VIR) 32 laps Sebastian Vettel (GER/RBR) 33 laps Adrian Sutil (GER/FOR) 49 laps Vitaly Petrov (RUS/REN) 49 laps Bruno Senna (BRA/HRT) 54 laps Sebastien Buemi (SUI/TOR) 58 laps Nico Hulkenberg (GER/WIL) 58 laps Kamui Kobayashi (JPN/SAU) 58 laps Jarno Trulli (ITA/LOT) 58 laps source http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/motorsport/35...ian-Grand-Prix/

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Jenson Button is locked in a worsening contract dispute with Brawn GP over money just as he closes in on his first Formula One world title. Championship leader Button will fly to the Singapore Grand Prix this week 14 points ahead of his closest rival but without a deal in sight for next year. Last winter Button had ignored the advice of his manager, Richard Goddard, by agreeing to reduce his old Honda contract from an estimated

Jenson Button admitted here Sunday that he was happier to crash out of the Canadian Grand Prix than to hand his potential podium finish to World Champion Michael Schumacher. Button has struggled this season and is yet to pick up a point after he buckled under pressure from Ferrari driver Schumacher and hit the wall at the final corner on the 46th lap of the 70-lap race. But the Briton, who started the race from pole position, insisted: "It has been a disappointing end to what has been a very encouraging weekend, but I'd rather crash in third than finish fourth really. "It was completely my mistake. I went pretty wide and I thought I've got to try and get round the corner. I hit the kerb pretty hard and I bounced across the circuit. I didn't hit the wall that hard but it ripped the tyre off," added the British driver. Button was undone by a new tall kerb on the inside of the final corner, which he dismissed as harmless on the Thursday before the race, and admitted he could do nothing about the accident once he made the mistake. "I was going to hit the wall as soon as I hit that kerb because I didn't have any wheels on the circuit," he said. "It jumped off the kerb and landed and I thought it was okay and then I lost all grip. Michael behind me was pushing me pretty hard and I should have gone across the green stuff but I thought if I did that I would have to let Michael pass and I didn't want to do that." Button's team are on the comeback trail after struggling early in the season and then being banned for two races for failing to prove their car legal at the San Marino Grand Prix. They were confident he could race for a podium place after he put the car on pole, thanks to a light fuel load, in Saturday practice and he could have achieved their aim if he had not thrown the car in the wall. --------------------------------- In all my life watching F1 .... this I think is one of the stupidest remarks coming from Jenson Button - that he'd rather crash than finish 4th ..... whats up with that ?? [/size] Teams get 1 Million Pounds per Championship point ... 4th is 5 points = 5 million pounds At the end of last season .... he was boasting that in 2005 , he will be challenging Micheal Shumacher for the Championship. Ah well .....

Williams and Jenson Button have announced that while they're disappointed that the CRB has ruled in BAR's favour, they will accept the decision. After two months of wrangling, the CRB ruled on Wednesday that only BAR held a valid contract for Jenson's services in 2005. The decision left Williams disappointed - and a driver short for next season. "Naturally we are disappointed with the CRB's conclusion. We took the view that Jenson was a driver worth challenging for, and based on strong legal advice, we have no regrets about making a bid for his services," said Frank Williams. "The CRB accepted a significant number of the team's arguments, but nevertheless found against us. We do not believe any further legal action in relation to this matter to be in the broader interests of the sport. In spite of the CRB's conclusion, which relates to 2005, we will maintain our close relationship with Jenson for 2006." Those sentiments were echoed by Jenson himself, and it seems that he too is determined to link-up with the Grove team in 2006. "Naturally, I am disappointed by the ruling, but as a matter of principle, I firmly believe in standing by the decision the CRB have reached today," said Jenson. "BAR have been extremely professional at the race track during this process, and I expect this to continue. I look forward to joining the BMW WilliamsF1 Team in the future." Williams also added that an announcement on who will be Mark Webber's team-mate next season would be made in due "course".