BAR Insist Button Will Drive in Canada

Jenson Button will take part in next weekend's Canadian Grand Prix despite missing this week's testing session under doctors' orders, his BAR-Honda team said on Friday.

Button, who missed last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix after he crashed heavily in Saturday morning practice, was due to drive for the team in Monza this week but was advised not to following a pre-test medical.

The team have revealed they will send reserve driver Takuma Sato to Canada, but insist the procedure is "a matter of policy" and have no doubt Button will be back in the car in Canada.

A team spokeswoman said: "Jenson has been told he is all clear to go. He was declared fit to test this week but he was advised it would be prudent not to do so and he will definitely be back in the car in Canada.

"He still has slight bruising but I understand he has been talking about the accident and he can remember as much as you would expect at such speeds. He is taking part in his usual training programme and will fly to Canada on Sunday.

"Takuma will be attending Montreal in his usual capacity of the team's third driver. This has been planned for a long time since Takuma attends all the long-haul races as a matter of policy."

Button, 23, was knocked out when he hit the barriers following a crash at the fastest part of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit in Saturday morning practice for last weekend's race.

The Briton, who had spent three full years in Formula One without suffering a major crash, was shaken by the incident but returned to the circuit before the race and watched from his boat, Little Missy, in the harbour.

Button's teammate Jacques Villeneuve was also sidelined from this week's Monza test with a back injury to leave Sato and the team's other test driver, Briton Anthony Davidson, to take over the running.

Sato, who raced for Jordan last season before returning to BAR for his second stint as a test driver, was present at the first three races of the season, in Australia, Malaysia and Brazil.

But he missed the Monaco race and was unable to take over from Button in time to qualify for the race and the team were left with just Canadian Villeneuve's car, which retired with engine problems 15 laps from the end.