By Andrew Benson Motorsport editor

Will Frank Williams and Button be renewing their partnership?

Williams are considering Jenson Button as a replacement for Juan Pablo Montoya in 2005, BBC Sport has learned.

Button's representatives have held initial talks with Williams, but the Englishman is one of several drivers under consideration, sources say.

Others include Sauber's Giancarlo Fisichella and Jaguar's Mark Webber.

Williams boss Sir Frank Williams said: "Jenson is obviously a very fine driver but I wouldn't admit to talks if I'd had them."

The team's technical director Patrick Head said: "I've never been in any doubt that Jenson has all the attributes to be a champion.

"As [BAR boss] David Richards has been very firm in saying, he has a fairly strong connection by contract with BAR.

"Drivers want a competitive car and the money they would like. If he gets that at BAR, he would probably have little reason for leaving.

We haven't filled the vacancy yet and we're always ready to be impressed Williams technical director Patrick Head

"But we would certainly regard him as very high on the list of contenders if he was available."

Head described Fisichella as "clearly a very talented driver", and said of Webber: "He is a driver who has a contract with another team which has clauses within it that have to be satisfied in terms of performance, championship position and so on.

"We will have to see if those are met.

"He's obviously an extremely capable driver. If he were to be available, he's obviously a candidate."

Williams gave Button his break in Formula One, but he was dropped in favour of Montoya at the end of his debut season, 2000.

Webber is managed by Flavio Briatore, team boss of Renault, who is thought to be preparing to take the Australian to Renault in 2005.

Fisichella is under contract to Sauber for 2005, but team owner Peter Sauber has said he would not stand in his way if a top team offered him a drive.

BBC Sport understands that some Williams insiders are questioning why the team would want Button rather than Fisichella when the Italian outqualified him 13-four and comprehensively out-raced him when they were team-mates at Renault in 2001.

Question mark

"Jenson showed well against Jacques Villeneuve last year and against Jarno Trulli at Renault in 2002," said Head.

Head admitted that Button had struggled against Fisichella.

But he said: "I think that was a reaction to the fact that things came very easily to him in 2000 and he expected that to carry on.

"The car was very difficult to drive and Fisichella made a better fist of it."

David Coulthard, who is losing his seat at McLaren to Montoya, has also been mentioned in connection with a Williams drive.

But Head appeared to rule him out.

"We haven't filled the vacancy yet and we're always ready to be impressed," he said.

"But there has to be a question mark about the number of years in which David has been outperformed by a team-mate in terms of points at the end of the year."

Ralf Schumacher's Williams contract runs out end at the end of 2004.

Williams said negotiations with the German would reopen in the summer.

"Once the second half of the season is under way we will see where we are in the championship and get back to fighting over the money. Ralf is our preferred choice," said Williams.