APRIL 30, 2001

Button shoulder problem over

ACCORDING to Jenson Button's manager David Robertson, concerns over the struggling Benetton driver's shoulder problem have been put to an end by his performance in the Spanish Grand Prix.

It appeared, over the weekend, that Button could miss the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix if the shoulder problem that had developed at the Malaysian Grand Prix persisted.

But after the Barcelona race, Robertson clearly stated: "We can forget all the nonsense now. He got through that no problems."

The injury was aggravated by the anti-clockwise circuits at Interlagos, Brazil and Imola, San Marino, which held the two races prior to the Spanish Grand Prix.

Button's continued poor performance for Benetton had led to speculation that he may have to be rested, but Robertson says that the stories were manipulated by the press.

"It's all been a bit of a nuisance," he said. "They have twisted things around in a way that made it sound worse and out of all proportion.

"The quotes were made from the questions and they said it in such a way that it was a leading question in the end."

Meanwhile, Button did not comment on speculation that has grown that he could be lined up as a replacement for Michael Schumacher at Ferrari in 2003 after a British newspaper suggested the Italian team are in talks with the 21-year-old driver's management.