JUNE 22, 2002

Button and Jaguar

THERE were stories appearing at the weekend at the Nurburgring which suggested that Jenson Button has been talking to Jaguar Racing about a possible drive in 2003. This does not sound very likely to happen as Renault (at least in Paris) are keen to keep the driver line-up stable so that the team can continue to make progress.

The stories do give Jaguar Racing a bit more credibility than might be the case given the results this year as the suggestion that a driver of Button's status would even consider switching to Jaguar Racing is a bonus for the struggling Ford-backed team.

Such stories will also do no harm at all if Button is looking for a lever in his talks with Renault about money. The only problem is that in order for this to work the Renault men must believe that Jaguar is a serious option for Button - and this does not appear to be the case.