Button crashes in practice

Jenson Button: His place at Williams could be in danger

Jenson Button hit a tyre barrier and David Coulthard took an excursion across a gravel trap in a calamitous practice session for Sunday's European Grand Prix.

The British pair found themselves unable to complete final practice as Michael Schumacher put in a commanding performance ahead of the Nuerburgring race.

14 points down

Button finished 13th fastest after ending Friday with the best time, while Coulthard, driving with three cracked ribs sustained in a plane crash three weeks ago, was fourth quickest.

The 20-year-old is thought to be driving for his seat with Williams amid speculation that he could be put out on loan for another team, with former test driver Juan Pablo Montoya taking his place.

Schumacher finished with the fastest time ahead of qualifying, with team-mate Rubens Barrichello in second ahead of Coulthard's McLaren team-mate Mika Hakkinen.

The German Ferrari star still leads the drivers' championship by 14 points.

Saturday's disappointment for Button came after he topped the times in opening practice on Friday, with a late fastest lap.

The Williams driver, who had never even seen the Nuerburgring circuit before arriving on Thursday, lapped in one minute and 19.808 seconds to outpace second-placed Austrian Alexander Wurz in a Benetton.

I don't want to get too excited as it's not qualifying - a lot is going to change

Jenson Button

World champion Mika Hakkinen of Finland, in a McLaren, was third ahead of team-mate David Coulthard and the Schumacher brothers Michael and Ralf, who were fifth and sixth respectively for the Ferrari and Williams teams.

"It's great to be at the top of the list," Button said.

"But I cannot say too much because a lot of the teams were not trying.

"I must admit that it wold be nice to be among those at the very top on Saturday."

It was a stunning effort by Button whose best lap came with just a minute remaining after a session run in mixed wet and dry conditions and in a strong and cold wind.

Schumacher had been fastest in the first free practice session with a time of 1min 21.092secs.

Hakkinen went off on his final lap of the opening session, when his McLaren locked up at the Dunlop curve.