BAR have dropped their counter-appeal against the FIA’s victory in the row over whether they ran Jenson Button’s car underweight in the San Marino Grand Prix. This is tantamount to acceptance by BAR of the claim that the car did contravene the rules, but means they do not suffer the potential greater embarassment of being charged with deliberate rule breaking. That could have carried a far greater penalty then the two race ban, and loss of all 2005 season points to date that, they now face.
With the team having left Catalunya, scene of this weekend’s Grand Prix, it remains to be seen whether Button or team mate Takuma Sato can find race seats for Spain or the next round at Monaco in two weeks’ time. It would have to be at the expense of a current driver and not cause any contractual conflicts. It is not known whether either driver has an appropriate get-out clause in their contracts to seek a temporary drive elsewhere in the event of a team disqualification, which last happened to Tyrrell in 1984.
