BAR Have a Long Way to Go, Says Button

Briton Jenson Button believes that his BAR team are still a long way away from rivalling Formula One giants Ferrari, Williams and McLaren for podium finishes.

The Brackley-based team - who hired Button at the start of this year - are currently fifth in the World Championship but lie 51 points behind fourth-placed Renault after Sunday's German Grand Prix.

They unveiled major changes to their car at the previous race in Britain, but Button knows they need further steps if he is to achieve his ambition of becoming World Champion within three years.

"There is still a lot of work to do before we catch up with the big teams," said Button, who moved from Renault on a three-year contract at the end of last season. "We need to work harder to have new parts more often. The step forward we had at Silverstone is still not enough, even if it was a very good improvement.

"We seemed to have dropped behind the Jaguars slightly in the last few races and also the Toyotas. But we seem to be back on the pace now and we need to be."

Button finished eighth in Germany but saw rivals Toyota close to within a point of his team in the title race after their drivers Olivier Panis and Cristiano da Matta finished fourth and fifth. Jaguar, who have signed Button's British rival Justin Wilson for the rest of the season, dropped back in their chase for fifth when they failed to score a point at Hockenheim.

"Both Toyota and Jaguar are real contenders for fifth in the Championship, and that is the main aim of all of us because the Renaults are far too far in front," he added. "We can definitely achieve that. I think Toyota and Jaguar are the only ones with the chance to actually get in front of us but there is no reason why we shouldn't be strong all the way through the season."