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JENSON Button is flying high, top of the F1 drivers' championship after his third win of the season in sunny Bahrain ... as his fellow Brit, Lewis Hamilton, the current world champion, faces one of the most crucial off track dates in his racing career.
Hamilton insisted during the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix that he will not quit McLaren despite the controversy over Formula One's 'liar-gate' scandal which could reach a dramatic conclusion later today.
Asked about the meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council to hear the case which has been raging since the Australian Grand Prix, world champion Hamilton said: "I don't abandon my team when things get tough."
Hamilton has reacted strongly to reports that he had lost the support of members of his team because he had allegedly considered leaving McLaren in the wake of the crisis.
"We've had bad and good times together and I'm happy where I am. We've got a long way to go and hopefully I've got a long, long time here. The great thing is that the guys are still very enthusiastic and working harder than ever. They seem better than they ever have been."
And GulfWeekly's F1 reporter Mai Al Khatib managed to raise a smile on the 22-year-old driver's face when they met in the BIC paddock for a photograph.
Through the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the kingdom owns a third part shareholding in the McLaren Group Company. Hamilton's affirmation of loyalty to McLaren and the team's work ethic came as new team chief Martin Whitmarsh confirmed he had written to the FIA to apologise for the affair.
The team will be at today's hearing and it is likely that only after that will Hamilton truly know - despite finishing fourth in the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix - if his title defence is on track or not.
If the FIA dish out a major sanction to the team it could affect his position through a points deduction or worse.
Two years ago, the team was fined for its part in the 'spy-gate' scandal and stripped of all its points in the constructors' championship.
This year's turn of events has already cost long-serving team manager Dave Ryan his job.
Meanwhile, Hamilton insists a successful defence of his title remains a realistic target for him and the McLaren-Mercedes team this season.
Despite trailing Button following a controversial and disappointing start to the season, Hamilton believes his points on Sunday can help him recover and hang on to his crown.
The 23-year-old Englishman, who last season became the youngest champion in F1 history, said: "It's still on I think, but the other guys are a bit ahead now, quite a bit ahead. But there are 13 races to go and anything can happen.
"I was delighted with fourth in Bahrain. The Toyotas, Red Bulls and Brawns were so fast in the high-speed corners that it was just impossible to keep up. But this is another encouraging step for the team, we just need to keep working on the car because we're not really fighting back quite yet, we are collecting points. And the gap will be bigger when we go to Barcelona because it's a high-down force circuit. We should challenge for the top 10 there, but another top-five will be harder."
Hamilton's third consecutive points finish moved him to seventh in the drivers' championship.
"So, yes, I am still optimistic and I believe that if we carry on doing the best job we can, we can catch up. It not, then we can only do our best and if it is not enough then we will have to focus on next season," he added.
The F1 circus returns to Europe in two weeks' time for the Spanish Grand Prix.
