Briatore: I want Button to give Fisi a wake-up call

In an interview with The Guardian, the flamboyant Italian, who guided Michael Schumacher to the World Championship win in 1994 and '95 in his first stint with the Enstone-based team, says he hopes new recruit Button can push his lead driver and unlock Fisichella's extra edge.

"Giancarlo needs to be pushed, I believe, like everybody," said Briatore. "Unfortunately with Alex [Wurz, Giancarlo's 2000 team mate] it was not such tight competition, and there was never any kind of challenge. In racing, if you're not winning the championship or the race, you've got to try to do the best job possible. He [Fisichella] was not doing anything extra. I am sure Jenson will make Giancarlo give us all the extra - if he has the extra. I don't know at this point."

Briatore, 50, was impressed with Button's pace in his rookie year with Williams in 2000, and snapped up the 21-year-old, despite the fact he is tied to Williams on a long-term contract.

"He finished races and made very few mistakes," he added. "Now we're making sure that there's not too much pressure on him this year. It's a very important year for Jenson and for us. I believe he's one of the very good drivers in Formula One. How good he is, I don't know. We will see."

The Benetton boss has set his sights on regular points finishes, as Renault prepares to return to F1 as a full works chassis and engine constructor in 2002.

"What we need to be doing by the middle of the season is to make sure that we have a car in the first six on the grid at every race," he added. "We believe that the beginning will be very hard. Normally Benetton starts the season well and then drops away in the middle. This year I want to be strong in the middle of the season and finish well."