Button Faces Licence Test.

British F1 rookie Jenson Button has hit a tiny snag in his attempt to join Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen on the grid in Melbourne, after the FIA insisted he had to pass the required Superlicence test.


Button, who was confirmed as team-mate to Ralf Schumacher at Williams last month, has been told by FIA president Max Mosley that he must complete 300km of testing on two successive days to qualify for the mandatory licence, which is required by all drivers competing in the sport's top flight. The 20-year old has already received the verbal backing of F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone, but this alone does not mean that he is assured of a place on the grid, as he also requires the approval of at least 18 members of the 26-strong Formula One Commission.


"If nine or more members of the Commission are against him, he won't get in," stressed Mosley, "although I don't imagine that will be the case. I don't know him, and it may be that he will be successful - I don't Frank Williams would have taken him on unless they were quite confident that he could get the job done."


Button is currently testing alongside Schumacher at Kyalami in South Africa, but unpredictable weather conditions have so far confounded attempts to cover the distances required to acquire the licence. Williams is expected to remain at the circuit until tomorrow [Tuesday] but it may be that Button - who failed his road licence test first time around - will have to wait until the team is back in Europe.