Button go for Canada says BAR

The team will be sending reserve driver Takuma Sato to Canada, but insists that this is a normal procedure. "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," said the spokeswoman.

Button was knocked out when he hit the barriers after losing control of his car on the exit of The Tunnel in Monaco last weekend. "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," said the spokeswoman. "He is taking part in his usual training programme and will fly to Canada on Sunday."

Team-mate Jacques Villeneuve also experienced health problems this week, with the re-occurrence of the back problems he has suffered since his crash in Australia in 2001, leaving Anthony Davidson to take over testing duties on the final day in Monza.