As the track dried in the second session, Brawn opted not to put their drivers on intermediate tyres, and while Barrichello just made the cut for the top-10 shootout, Button missed out.
Just as the construction of America's highways meant that Goodyear sold many more tyres, he hopes the Internet will have a similar effect on the machine-translation business.
Renault found themselves outclassed by Ferrari and their Bridgestone tyres on a tough Magny-Cours circuit but Alonso saw his championship lead cut by just two points after making the most of Massa's third stop to claim second place.