With his immediate future secured - and a desire to continue beyond next year - can Jenson Button stay in Formula 1 long enough to threaten Rubens Barrichello's all-time record for Grand Prix starts?
that time, the Brazilian had a 38 start advantage over former Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher, who would only go on to start a further 20 Grands Prix in 2012 before being effectively forced into retirement by the arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
Button, meanwhile, was way back on 208 starts, 118 off the top spot and behind not only Patrese, but also Jarno Trulli, David Coulthard and Giancarlo Fisichella as well. He did not appear to be a real threat to the record holder.
Here we are four years later, however - and Button has already moved up to third place, on 279 starts as of the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend and on course to hit 284 by the end of the year.
With 21 races on next year's schedule, Button - assuming he starts them all - is on course to fall just three shy of Schumacher's final tally of 308 at the final race, at which point his McLaren deal expires.
But, with the Brit expressing a strong desire to remain on board for the big rule changes set to transform the look and feel of Grand Prix cars in 2017, it could - depending on the size of the calendar - only take one more full season for him to match Barrichello.
He would do so at the 21st race of the 2017 season, and were the schedule expanded to 22 events, he would go one better than the Brazilian at the final race.
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