Thursday February 17th, 2000

Britain's Jenson Button has a year to prove himself in Formula One, team boss Frank Williams said on Thursday.

Williams said he had several top-class drivers to choose from for 2001 and 20-year-old Button, drafted in as a replacement for Italian Alex Zanardi, would be under pressure from them.

"Juan Pablo Montoya has a great natural ability," said Williams of the Colombian who won the CART title last season and who tested for the Williams team two years ago.

"With him wanting to come back to the team and Jenson and Ralf Schumacher in the car this year, our long-term future appears to be rich with options.

"Jenson will need to show us what he can do this year to keep Juan Pablo out of the team and that is quite a position for us to be in."

Williams said he was impressed with Button's contribution so far and added that it was BMW sporting director Gerhard Berger, a former Formula One driver whose firm now provides Williams with engines, who spotted his potential.

"He (Berger) asked me if he could see him (Button) and they met for lunch. He told me 'this guy has got it' and obviously Gerhard was impressed because he has all the right qualities. He was focused and intelligent," he said.