Button looks for podium finish
Jenson Button has warned world champions Renault to watch out in tomorrow’s German Grand Prix after returning to form in qualifying at Hockenheim today.
The Honda driver has failed to score points in his last five races but lifted the gloom with a fine qualifying display to net fourth place on the grid.
The 26-year-old will start in front of both Renaults, with Giancarlo Fisichellaand Fernando Alonso fifth and seventh respectively.
He believes his former team should beware of Honda, offering hope of a podium return by claiming only Ferrari are out of his reach.
He said: “It feels nice but it doesn’t feel like victory yet. If we finish fourth tomorrow I would be pretty happy with that.
“The car is good at the moment. I am sure we won’t be as quick as the Ferraris in the race but the Renaults and McLarens we can fight with.”
Button’s return to the sharp end of the grid could not come soon enough for a team who hoped to be winning races this season but instead found themselves among the backmarkers.
Their season hit a low in France two weeks ago when Button started a lowly 18th before an engine failure.
That weekend was supposed to mark a new beginning for the Brackley-based team after the introduction of a heavily revised car so Button was pleased to finally see the promised improvement.
“It is not relief, just a nice feeling,” he said. “It is all down to hard work. It shows we are still fighting, we are not just sitting down and taking it.
“Hopefully this is the springboard to better results but it is only one qualifying session. But I can’t remember the last time I outqualified two Renaults.
“We are in a much better position. We are up there amongst it which is very nice especially after the last race.
“It is nice to have a car which I am confident to push with. We have made a good step forward, we have found a few things with the aerodynamic package. We have found a few improvements.”
Button was comfortably the quickest Briton today but David Coulthard was content with his 10th place.
He gave Red Bull a presence in the 15-minute pole position shoot-out but having scrapped to reach the final session, finished bottom of the pile and starts from the fifth row.
“It’s great to get through to the top 10, it’s just disappointing that once we’re there, that’s where we stay, in 10th,” he said.
“I’d no fresh tyres remaining in the last qualifying stint, so I wasn’t able to attack so much.”
Coulthard’s former McLaren team-mate Kimi Raikkonen produced a shock to take pole position, keeping championship hopeful Michael Schumacher at bay in second.
Schumacher’s Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa lines up third while his title rival Fernando Alonso, who leads the standings by 17 points, was down in seventh for Renault.
