BAR Still Target Ferrari Despite Disappointment

BAR-Honda said their showing at the Spanish Grand Prix had been a disappointment, but the team claim they are still best-positioned to take the fight to Ferrari this season.

World Championship leader Michael Schumacher said before the race that BAR driver Jenson Button could challenge him for victory - but he and the team failed to match up to the World Champion's expectations in Barcelona.

Button made a mistake in qualifying and after starting 14th on the grid he could only manage eighth place while Takuma Sato finished fifth behind the two Ferraris and the two Renaults.

Renault are now comfortably positioned in second place in the Constructors' Championship, but BAR technical director Geoff Willis said: "I think we are generally faster than them but you have to realise your advantage.

"We didn't this weekend. We have always been genuinely very quick here in testing but on the day we did not make a very good job of racing Renault. We had never seen what the Ferrari was like here and they were too quick for us.

"Ferrari are certainly very, very strong so it is probably up to us to try and stop them rather than anybody else at the moment. We will certainly have a good go at it - but Ferrari are very professional and tough competitors."

Button said he struggled in the race and admitted that after a bad start, he could not make up much ground.

In the end, Button was simply happy to salvage a point and with Sato finishing fifth the team remain positive that the over their performance in recent races is justified.

"I don't think it's too bad, we are quite happy," said Willis. "Both cars finished and there were no real problems all weekend. We will go back and study and do it better. We are learning all the time and this is our first year with the Michelin tyres. We have made a big difference with the team in the past two years and it is all just part about learning."