Formula One: Button Flies to Brazil With Future in the Air

Jenson Button flies to Sao Paulo today to prepare for Sunday's final race of the season hoping that the BAR-Honda 006 will lay on his first ever grand prix victory on Sunday but equally keeping his fingers crossed that this will be his last outing for the Brackley-based team before he joins BMW Williams next season.

The 24-year-old Briton will hear this afternoon if the contract he signed with Frank Williams's team will permit him to change teams for 2005. The contracts recognition board of the FIA, the sport's governing body, met to deliberate on the matter last Saturday and is due to deliver its verdict as to whether the Williams deal takes priority over the existing BAR contract.

The contracts board's verdict is also of pressing interest to Anthony Davidson and Antonio Pizzonia, the drivers hoping for promotion to the BAR and Williams race teams respectively depending on where Button ends up next season.

If the verdict goes in favour of Williams, then Davidson is likely to be nominated for the vacant BAR seat almost as a formality. As the team's third driver he has participated in Friday practice sessions all season and has consistently shown speed and ability.

If the decision goes against Williams the issue may well be up for negotiation. Williams could offer to write a cheque to secure Button's services but, if the asking price is too high, they might simply walk away.

Whatever the verdict - and both teams must abide by it, under the terms of the Concorde agreement - Button is confident that the bumpy specifics of the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace at Interlagos will perfectly suit the performance characteristics of his current machine.

Beating Ferrari, particularly with Rubens Barrichello determined to win his home grand prix, will be a huge challenge for BAR but the British team completed around 800 miles of testing last week at the Jérez circuit in Spain and are bullish about Interlagos.

"Brazil has always been a race that I have enjoyed," said Button. "Interlagos is a circuit that has seen some very good racing over the years, especially last year with the wet conditions. It's also a circuit where our car will perform very well - better than in Shanghai and Suzuka, I feel.

"You need good braking stability at Interlagos because a lot of the time you're braking and turning at the same time. I think we have that."