Motor SportJenson Button will know by Monday whether he is free to drive for the BMW Williams team next season or remains contractually committed to BAR-Honda - the team for whom he has raced to third place in this year's world championship.
Today, in a Milan hotel, the three independent lawyers who make up the FIA contracts recognition board will hear submissions from counsel representing the two Formula One teams, who both believe they have binding contracts with the 24-year-old British driver.
The lawyers will have to consider the evidence and write up their judgment, so an official announcement of the outcome is not realistically expected until next week. Both sides remain confident.
"We are not considering our options for replacing Jenson," said David Richards, the BAR team principal, "because we don't believe we will have to."
A Williams spokesman said: "We are going to the hearing in a confident mood and will abide by the board's decision. I don't think we would seek to take the matter further if the result was not in our favour."
In rallying, Francois Duval has a maiden win in his sights after ending day one of the Tour de Corse with a clear lead.
The young Belgian is on the lookout for a new team next season after being released by Ford and he did his cause a power of good with a superb display yesterday.
Duval, whose best result in his fledgling world rally career is second, won two stages to end the first day in the lead, 15.1 seconds clear of Ford team-mate Markko Martin in second.
The Ford pair of Duval and Martin were in a class of their own, stealing the limelight from world champion elect Sebastien Loeb. The Frenchman needs only five points from his home event to take the crown and he is on course, lying over 30 seconds off the pace in third.
His only title rival, current world champion Petter Solberg, is out of the victory battle after having lost two minutes on Duval and is languishing in seventh.
Loeb's team-mate Carlos Sainz is fourth as he continues his consistent end to what is likely to be his final season of world rallying.
