Button insists injury will not sideline him

The troubled 21-year-old Benetton driver has been nursing a shoulder injury for over a month. And his participation in this weekend's race in Barcelona was in doubt until he visited specialists in London after the last race, the San Marino Grand Prix.

Manager David Robertson said on Saturday his participation in Austria depended on how his shoulder felt after the race in Barcelona and after further treatment in London next week.

But hours before the race in Spain, Button insisted his participation in the next round is not in doubt.

"I will definitely be in Austria," he insisted. "I've been having problems with a pain in a couple of places in my right shoulder.

"I had treatment after Imola and it was supposed to get better straight away and it didn't. The main problem has been on anti-clockwise circuits like Sao Paulo and Imola, which have left-hand corners

"Spain is different because there are a lot of fast right-handers. It's okay in qualifying or testing, but in the race and on the kerbs I've been in a bit of pain. But I've had a lot of physio in the last couple of weeks and it's getting better."

After his starring role last season at Williams, the sophomore race ace has had a poor year as Benetton struggle to reach competitiveness under Renault ownership and the development of their radically new V10.

He has failed to out-qualify team mate Giancarlo Fisichella all but once and both drivers have gradually sunk down the grid order.

Fisichella starts the fifth round from 19th position and Button is 21st - equalling the worst grid position of his career.

Button was able to look back on fonder times when he received a 'Bernie', a new award to tie in with the season-starting Grand Prix Party at London's Royal Albert Hall, for being the most outstanding newcomer of 2000. Michael Schumacher, commentator Murray Walker and GP medical delegate Professor Sid Watkins also received Ecclestone-shaped statuettes from the man himself in a ceremony in the Barcelona paddock on Saturday.