Button pines for podium finish
Jenson Button admits he must rely on championship rivals McLaren and Renault slipping up if he is to make it to the podium in the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
The BAR-Honda driver had hoped for podium finishes in the final three races of the season but after defying those predictions and finishing on the fringes of the top eight in Brazil and Japan, he is wary ahead of tomorrow’s race.
Button, who is chasing a 10th consecutive points finish, will start in an encouraging fourth place in Shanghai but he believes McLaren and Renault are a class apart from BAR.
He said: “I am not going to get too excited, I have done that the last couple of races. I think we need to say the McLarens and Renaults are too quick in a straight fight.”
However, Button hopes the constructors’ championship battle between the two could work in his favour.
Just two points separate leaders Renault from McLaren and the two teams boast four drivers in the top five of the grid so Button is keeping his fingers crossed for fireworks.
He added: “I think that the Renaults and the McLarens will be as quick as ever but I think there is going to be battling and there will be a lot of tactics involved between both teams.
“We have just got to stay close enough to pick up the pieces when something happens.
“They are a lot quicker than us on the straight so we are not going to be able to overtake them – it’s whether they get into fights.
“Maybe they will be fighting between themselves and tripping themselves up which would help us.”
Button has recovered from a viral infection to get on the grid for his 100th Formula One start.
The 25-year-old had to stay away from the track on Thursday but is feeling better now, saying: “I am fine, I am very healthy.
“I am a bit lighter than I was two days ago – I lost two kilos which probably isn’t good but I feel fine.”
Button’s countryman David Coulthard is also in line to score more points after qualifying seventh and he wants to end the season as he started, by springing a surprise on Formula One’s more established teams.
The Scotsman has been one of the surprises of the season at Red Bull, transforming the former Jaguar team into credible points scorers in their first season.
Now he wants to sign off for 2005 with more points to add to the 24 he has already clocked up.
He said: “I’m quite happy with the time I set. Apart from the first sector, the rest of the lap was tidy enough, so hopefully we’re going to have a good race tomorrow and get some points.
“That’s how we started the season so that’s how we want to finish it.”
Fernando Alonso took pole position today with Renault team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella alongside.
