Jenson Button left trailing in his Brawn GP during practice

Jenson Button's first serious drive in his new Brawn GP ended in disappointment this morning as he trailed in fifth fastest during the two free practrice sessions ahead of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

Bad boy Jenson Button roars back

BACK in 2007, Nigel Mansell pronounced Jenson Button’s career to be effectively over. “Jenson should have won more races. He’s under-performed, and that’s down to him,” said the 1992 world champion. “He’s had his opportunity and didn’t take it. There won’t be any more.”

Malaysian GP: Practice 2 times

1. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1:35.707 2. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1:35.832; 3. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1:35.954; 4. Nico Rosberg (Williams) 1:36.015; 5. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1:36.026; 6. Rubens Barrichello (Brawn) 1:36.161; 7. Jenson Button (Brawn) 1:36.254; 8. Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) 1:36.290

Jenson Button's chance of winning drivers’ world title could be over before it has begun

Jenson Button is facing the real possibility that his best chance of winning the Formula One drivers’ championship could be over almost before it has begun.

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button go head to head

With Jenson Button setting the pace during testing in Spain this month and Lewis Hamilton floundering in what seems to be an uncompetitive McLaren Mercedes, Formula One fans could be about to witness the most dramatic role reversal since Dustin Hoffman donned a wig in Tootsie.

Diffuser row poses threat to unity of Fota

On the face of it, the row over the diffuser at the back of Jenson Button's car is about a technicality - a box-shaped carbon-fibre structure at the rear of the Brawn GP vehicle that channels air out of the back of the machine. Seven teams on the Formula One grid say that Brawn GP, along with Williams and Toyota, have abused the rules, that the diffusers are too big and give those drivers more grip and thus more speed.