Both Button and Webber were present at the Thursday Press Conference for the British Grand Prix. Here are some of the questions relating to their careers
Q: Jenson, how frustrating is it for you to start every season as a professional driver who has not yet been able to win a race. Is that something you keep in your mind?
Jenson Button:
Yes, of course its frustrating because as racing drivers we?re all here to do one job and that?s to win and it is frustrating, especially this year, because this was the year when we came into the season with everything very good. The winter testing was very positive, the car was very reliable and we were setting some very good lap times ? not just over one lap but over long runs as well ? we showed a lot of consistency throughout the run. The first couple of races were pretty much where we thought we were ? things were going pretty well and in Bahrain we were very fast but we made a mistake, sorry, we had a problem with the clutch and the second race we finished on the podium. We weren?t quite on the pace of the Renaults but it was pretty good ? we were quite a long way ahead of the rest of the field, so it was, those two races were very good and then it started to go downhill after Australia, or during it and I think the reason is Renault and Ferrari especially have made really big improvements in every race ? they just seem to have had new bits on the car and they?ve really stepped up their game. With us, we have made improvements but nowhere near as much and that?s an area we really do need to work on as a team, because we can produce very good cars at the start of the year; it?s staying competitive for the whole season that?s where were losing out a little bit.
Q: Jenson, you seem to be very much aiming for third or fourth team here. Is that the position of the team at the moment?
Jenson Button:
We?re not going to suddenly jump forward compared to Monaco and the previous few races. Renault and Ferrari are very strong at the moment and I think McLaren are also, so it?s very difficult. It?s so competitive out there at the moment. But for us to say where we are going to finish is a silly thing to do. I think we need to just try to get the best out of the package we have and that is our aim at the moment, and then we will see where we end up. We don?t know where we will be.
Q: Can you envisage fighting with Renault and Ferrari?
Jenson Button:
No, not this weekend.
Q: Question for DC and Jenson; I have a newspaper article here in which David is quoted as saying that basically Jenson should be ruthless. If he believes Honda can win he should stay, if not, he should get out of there now. Could I ask both of you for your comments on that?
David Coulhtard:
I think it?s quite a good quote isn?t it?
Jenson Button:
Yeah. That?s always going to be the way. If things are going good, you want to be there. If not, you don?t. It?s a difficult one. I think it?s a good quote as well. But it?s not all down to just the one race, and maybe not even one season. Looking back from experience, you cannot keep just chopping and changing teams season to season because things do change and I think you need to understand where the team is and where they are weak and where they are moving forward and at what stage they are. For me, where I am at the moment is the best thing for me for the future. The way things are happening with the wind tunnel, and many other things within the team, I?m very positive that this is the correct place for me.
Q: Mark, after the frustrations of Monaco, where you were clearly very upset, you probably had another podium robbed from you due to mechanical failure. Are you considering moving to another team for next year?
Mark Webber:
Well, I would pretty much echo what Jenson said: you always think it?s greener somewhere else. Williams have so far been so close and yet so far. We?ve probably thrown away a good part of 20 points in terms of mechanical failures but there could be a mistake around the corner which could cost us some points, but we are all suffering together with those failures and next year, it could look very very different. We?ve got a year?s knowledge with the Bridgestone tyres, including myself as a driver but also as a team, and they are not as simple as just bolting them on the car, so that is a huge positive for Williams next year, so of course, I have to weigh things up but there?s a lot of potential for Williams to come out of this rough storm that we?re in at the moment which is not where we want to be. I think we?ve got ten points in the Constructors? which after seven races is clearly not where we want to be. We?ve got to get our socks lifted and get on with the job.
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