Grapevine: Button Facing Pay Cut at Renault

Briton Jenson Button has been asked to take a pay cut by his Renault F1 chief Flavio Briatore in an apparent attempt to force the youngster out of the team, according to newspaper reports.

Button, 22, is believed to have been offered a contract that would see his wage packet slashed by around £2 million per year even though he has enjoyed a good season so far with the French squad.

Briatore is believed to be keen on bringing in Renault's promising 21-year-old Spanish test driver Fernando Alonso to replace Button when his two-year loan deal from Williams expires at the end of the season.

If Alonso does replace Button, Briatore will find himself getting a percentage of the wages of both Renault drivers as he owns an interest in Alonso and also manages Jarno Trulli.

"It's a very delicate situation for Flavio," a source close to the team was quoted as saying by The Sun newspaper. "If Jenson decided to leave the team and drive somewhere else it would make things a lot easier.

"But what Flavio doesn't want is for people to think that he is not keeping Jenson because he can make extra money by signing Alonso."

Button currently lies seventh in the Championship table and has impressed with four point-scoring finishes.

Button, who was forced out of Williams to make way for Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, has been linked to Formula One newcomers Toyota and has had talks with Jaguar Racing about a possible seat for 2003.