Webber: Button a 'Perfect' Teammate

Australian Mark Webber believes that having Briton Jenson Button as a teammate at Williams-BMW next year will be "absolutely perfect."

Williams announced a week ago that Button is to join them from BAR-Honda at the end of the year, although they still face a battle for his services after BAR claimed he has no right to leave.

But Webber hopes the move will be given the all clear and said that being paired with Button was more than he could have hoped for when he agreed his own switch to Williams from Jaguar for next season after the German Grand Prix in July.

"Frank Williams asked me who would be a good teammate and if I had known Jenson was on the market clearly he would have been fantastic, ideal for me and the team," said Webber. "I think I would have been the only bloke on the planet if I had known when I signed my contract that Jenson was going to be my teammate.

"Frank phoned me up after Silverstone last year and things started to firm up over the winter. When we got to Europe was when I had to start making my decision and I signed after Hockenheim."

Williams have struggled to perform this year and have claimed just 47 points so far this season with only two podium finishes - both for Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya - to their name.

But Webber is confident they have the resources to turn their disappointing season around by the time he steps in the car for the first time next year and admitted driving for the team will be a dream come true.

"Clearly they are underperforming for what they want to achieve right now but you have got to look beyond that and look at the people and the history that they have got there," he said.

"I am a big fan of how Frank goes about the business and it is a real race team and they have very clear ambitions and it's exciting. I am really, really happy to drive for Williams. It is a big step for me."

Button, who is set for a battle to secure his move to Williams, refused to comment on the move itself on Thursday for legal reasons but allowed himself to rate Webber, a former teammate at Benetton, purely as a rival driver.

"We have worked together before and he really works hard which is fantastic to see," said Button. "He puts in a lot of effort in every area and I think he would be a big bonus to any team in Formula One."