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Former BAR team principal David Richards joins us to kick off series three of Bring Back V10s with an in-depth look at Jenson Button’s superb 2004 Formula 1 season.
We revisit how Richards changed the culture at BAR, which had underperformed ever since its arrival in 1999, the effect of Jacques Villeneuve’s departure at the end of 2003 (and how he tried to come back!), why the 2004 BAR was such a big step from its predecessor, how Button led the team into its new era, his standout performances (and why his Imola pole means more to him than his first podium), plus BAR’s slight downturn in results during the summer.
That part of the season leads us into a big part of this episode – and one of our most requested topics: Button’s attempt to leave BAR for 2005 to join Williams.
Richards explains the team’s side of that controversy, and why he fought so hard against Button’s wishes to leave.
We also look at how the partnership kept performing on track while that was going on in the background, and what both sides made of it after Button was ordered to stay – plus the news at the end of the year that Honda was buying into BAR, as Richards was moved aside.
To find the show on your favourite podcast platform, search for ‘Bring Back V10s – classic F1 stories’.
– Listen on Apple Podcasts
– Listen on Spotify
