Having discussed the situation with a number of well-placed individuals within the past 24-hours my attitude towards Jenson Button and his current plight has altered greatly. Consequently I have dropped the original title - Button, great or ingrate? - and attempted to look at the bigger picture.

Let me begin by saying that Jenson has to be some sort of idiot, otherwise how could he (twice) find himself in this current situation, involved in what appears to an annual tug-of-war between WilliamsF1 and BAR?

Whether he has been badly advised or whether he's simply clueless when it comes to dealing with situations outside a racing car, we do not know, but the fact is that his image is not helped by such nonsense.

We know that there was a massive reshuffle of his management earlier in the year, brought on as a result of Buttongate 2004, with John Byfield and Russell King of Essentially Sport moving on to pastures new, and making way for Richard Goddard.

Then, on the grid at Silverstone, we saw Byfield and Russell with Jenson, and wondered whether the duo - clearly taking time out from their hectic Team Dubai F1 venture - was still involved with Jenson behind the scenes. The onset of Buttongate 2005 made us even more suspicious.

Now we learn that to all intents and purposes Byfield and King are no longer involved in Button's management, though like former manager David Robertson, who now looks after Kimi Raikkonen's interests, they will continue to receive a dividend from the Button 'cash cow'. They are not allowed to represent the Briton but they have "legally binding contracts" that will allow them a "financial tickle" for the next couple of years.

The whys and wherefores are unimportant, what is important is that Frank Williams is utterly convinced that he has a valid contract with Jenson Button for 2006 and beyond. To a certain extent, BAR agrees, but it wants to keep the Englishman, indeed it appears to want to build the team around him.

And there, caught in the middle, like a bunny in the headlights, is Jense.

BAR's Nick Fry assures us that Button wants to remain on board, we'll have to take his word for that since Jenson is keeping schtum - and not for the first time.

Amongst other things, Fry has claimed that by forcing Button to drive its cars, WilliamsF1 is breeching the driver's human rights. Well Nick, that's not for you to say, the only one who can say whether he feels his human rights are being breeched, and who can take action, is Jenson, whose lips remain tightly buttoned.

Anyone who saw Frank Williams talking about the situation on TV at the weekend will have seen the steely glint of utter determination in his eye. It's oft said that Frank, like partner Patrick Head, is one of the few racers remaining in the paddock, he is also one of the few traditionalists, a purist through and through. Too many times he has allowed potential champions to slip through his grasp, he is simply not prepared to let it happen again.