Future bright for Button

Button will be driving for Benetton next season

It has been an interesting first Formula One season for British race sensation Jenson Button.

He became Britain's youngest ever F1 driver at the age of 20.

But after just one year at Williams, he is going on loan to Benetton until 2003.

Williams boss Frank Williams says he will recall Button after his loan spell and predicts a bright future for the Somerset youngster.

Button always had the pedigree to be a top driver.

Jenson has astonished the team with his immediate grasp of Formula One and with the calmness of his approach to driving an F1 car even under the greatest of pressures in a qualifying situation

  Frank Williams

His father John is a former British rallycross driver.

Button was soon into his winning ways when at the age of eight he was victorious in a kart club race.

In 1989 he won the British Super Prix, in 1990 he was crowned British Cadet Champion and in 1991 he was first in the British Open Championship.

He graduated to Junior TKM class a year later and won both national and open titles.

Button then switched to the Junior Intercontinental European Championship and in 1995 was the Italian Champion and runner-up in the World Karting Championship.

Victorious

In 1997, at the age of 17, he became the youngest ever winner of the European Super A Championship.

He also took the chequered flag in the Ayrton Senna Memorial Cup at Suzuka.

At the age of 18, Button finally progressed to cars.

He promptly won the British Formula Ford title and Formula Ford Festival and was named Young Driver of the Year.

A year later and Button progressed to Formula Three, where he was victorious in three races and overall finished third in the British Championship.

F1 teams were lining up for Button and he took test-drives with both McLaren and Prost.

At the start of 2000 he signed a five-year deal with Williams.

He had a nightmare qualifying session for his first ever F1 race, the Australian Grand Prix.

He started 21st on the grid but worked his way up to sixth before his engine blew.

Recapture

Button's highest finish is fourth so far and he has impressed all with his amazing natural driving ability.

Frank Williams said on Thursday: "Jenson has astonished the team with his immediate grasp of Formula One and with the calmness of his approach to driving an F1 car even under the greatest of pressures in a qualifying situation."

Now Button will be aiming to recapture Benetton's glory days during his loan spell.

Michael Schumacher won back-to-back World Drivers' Championships in 1994 and 1995 while at Benetton.