Barrichello enjoys 'best Friday' to date

Barrichello, joining Honda this season after six years at Ferrari, has struggled to get to grips with his new car, failing to match the pace of teammate Jenson Button.

But practice for the Australian Grand Prix was better for Barrichello, who was a lot happier after posting the eighth fastest time of the day.

"The car went better. It is the best Friday I had compared to the first two races," said Barrichello. "I am a little bit happier with the balance of the car, we did more running which was good.

"I am still not completely happy with the brake situation as I am locking a little bit the rear brakes too much, but I quite like the set-up of the car, I think we look very competitive and it will be something to cheer up.

"It is a lot of work but at least I can start the weekend on a good basis that the car worked okay on Friday, but the track was a bit dirty and dusty."

Barrichello, who has failed to score any points this season yet, admitted he is having trouble adapting to the braking characteristic of his Honda.

"It is something quite specific. I am a late braker and I cannot late brake on this car, as much as I try to brake later I am having some problems," he said.

"Before I sent my shopping list to the teams and they are doing a very good job but it not a turn from day to night and then they will be on the car, so now I am having to adapt to it pretty much and there will be a time when the car gets my way of it, I am sure I can see my way.

"Right now I am having to think a bit before I actually drive and that is costing me time. I am definitely happier today and there are no excuses for that, we did some testing in the winter and by the third day I was happier but it was at the end.

"You could see that Jenson was always happier than me on the first day, the second day we were average and the third day we were average or in front. That is something that we never said anything but the problems just became a hell of a lot bigger in racing than testing."

Although the Albert Park circuit is very hard on the brakes, Barrichello said it would not be as tough for him as Malaysia.

"I had it the most difficult one in Malaysia," Barrichello added. "That was the lack of grip and the condition of the car braking late and going a bit of oversteer and that was killing me and then I have the small issue with the traction control as well, because Jenson seems very good at controlling the throttle and inducing it.

"I like to do it, especially in the wet, but in the dry if you apply full throttle and relate it to the traction control it is going to be a faster way to getting it out of the corner.

"I have been doing that for six years and now I am back to controlling it and the grip level in Barcelona was a hell of a lot higher than the first few races, so controlling that is a big issue.

"There is no excuse for anything but I am a hard worker and I will get everything fixed."

The Honda driver said the team plan to do some changes to adapt the car to his style, but for the time being he will have to drive the car as is.

"I am having to do some different things, it is not that I am driving the way I would have liked to but right now before I made a list of things that I think will improve not just for me but the whole team but before we actually have it on the car, it is Rubens adapting to the car rather than the car adapting to Rubens," he said.