Button Must Raise His Game, Says Berger

Briton Jenson Button must start to perform if he wants to have a chance of returning to the Williams team in the future, according to BMW motorsport's Gerhard Berger.

21-year old Button made his Formula One debut last season with Williams but left the team to make room for Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and is now on a two-year loan to the Benetton outfit. But the Brit has been under increasing pressure after struggling to match teammate Giancarlo Fisichella's pace so far this year.

In ten races Fisichella has outqualified Button nine times and the Italian has been the only driver capable of scoring a point this season for the struggling Renault-owned team. Button was expected to return to Williams after his spell with Benetton but Montoya's brilliant performances have put a question mark over his return to the British team in 2003.

The pressure has been intensified after Berger suggested on Sunday Button must raise his game soon or Williams may as well sign Fisichella instead of him.

"There's no point in discussing the Montoya-Button situation yet because that decision doesn't have to be made for another year," Berger told the Sunday Mirror. "But Jenson has to beat Fisichella first. You are always judged against your teammate.

"If Jenson can't go quicker than Fisichella then maybe we should be thinking about signing Fisichella.

"I don't know what's happening at Benetton with the equipment but Jenson knows eventually he has to produce results," he added. "He has a talent and did very well last season. Normally a driver finds it tough in his first year, but Jenson is finding it tough in his second."