Button aims to take on Schuey

Button scored his first podium finish at the Malaysian Grand Prix last weekend, and his third place was an indication of the major step forward taken by BAR thanks to its extensive winter testing programme.

The Briton is not predicting instant success but, buoyed by his result in Sepang, is confident that his results will improve even further as the season continues.

Schumacher has won both races so far this season, and Ferrari have dominated both the Australian and Malaysian grands prix.

"If we put it together, there is no reason why we can't be fighting with Michael," he told the Sunday Mirror. "What we need to do is perform as we did in Malaysia and qualify as we did at the previous race in Australia.

"The result last Sunday gives us a lot of hope. I don't like predicting wins, but we've only had two races out of 18 and there is a lot more to come from us. We've just got to keep working and keep improving.

"When you put it all together, the signs are very, very good for us. I just hope we qualify well so we have the chance to race Ferrari and Williams in Bahrain."

Team principal David Richards and technical director Geoff Willis echoed Button's confidence. Richards said: "All our preparation work indicates that we should be able to replicate another strong performance, and there is good reason to feel confident that both drivers will again be able to benefit from the positive steps forward we have taken this season."

Willis agreed, saying: "We think the circuit should suit the Michelin tyres. Our aim in Bahrain is to get on the podium and get both cars in the points. Having proved we can do it once, we expect to feature regularly on the podium throughout the season."

Even BAR's second driver, Japanese Takuma Sato, who has struggled with his quick but exuberant driving style this season, is aiming high for this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix and expects to score his first points for the team.

"Malaysia was disappointing, as we had the pace and the strategy and could have scored a point without the problems we had," explained Sato. "We are working on reliability and as we were competitive at he first two races, I am very encouraged."