FOTA: Button good for British series

Button, who signed for Williams earlier this week, drove for the Promatecme team last season, finishing third in the championship after winning two races.

His move to F1 comes less than two years since he triumphed in the Formula Ford championship.

Jeremy Lord of Formula Three Association, FOTA, said: "This is tremendous news not only for Jenson but for the British Championship.

"We have become used to seeing our drivers move up through the higher echelons of the sport, but it is very pleasing to see the way that Jenson has been snapped up after just two years of racing cars."

The British Formula Three Championship runs as part of PowerTour, a motorsport show created by the British Racing Drivers' Club.

PowerTour director Roger Etcell added: "Jenson's tremendous news reinforces the value of the British Formula Three Championship and we look forward to identifying future Grand Prix heroes in 2000."

His signing for Williams follows that of former British Formula 3 race winner Darren Manning who signed for BAR as its test driver.

Last year's championship runner-up Luciano Burti has assumed a testing role at Jaguar, and 1997 race winner Mark Webber has signed as test driver at Arrows.