Button: BAR May be Better than I Thought

"We don't have a chance in the Championship, of winning the Championship anyway," said the Briton, still searching for his team's first points of a Formula One season that has gone seriously wrong for them so far.

"Our aim is to go out and hopefully fight for wins. Hopefully we are ready for it but I wasn't expecting to come here fighting for wins at all.

"Maybe we are better than I actually thought originally."

The delirious scenes in the garage afterwards, an explosion of hugs and high-fives, showed how much it mattered to a team that have fallen to earth heavily after a high-flying performance in 2004.

Button was on the podium 10 times last season as BAR shed their reputation as high-spending underperformers and became genuine contenders.

After seven races this year, they have had to pick themselves up off the floor.

"This is only qualifying, I know that and we know that as a team," said Button. "But we have had a tough few months, we've had a tough year so far so this means a lot to us to be closer to the front again.

"This is a very special moment for everyone in the team and hopefully this is going to help the rest of the year for us."

High Hopes

Starting the year with high hopes amid talk of a first victory, it was soon apparent that the Honda-powered team had lost ground.

A strategic retirement in Australia was followed by technical failures in Malaysia and Bahrain and then disqualification from third place at the San Marino Grand Prix in April.

BAR were suspended for two races after their car was found to be too light when all the fuel was drained out.

"This is a huge boost for the team," said Button after a lap that had engine partners Honda talking about a repeat of last year's podium in Canada even if others questioned the team's fuel loads.

"We expected to come here and be reasonably quick but to challenge the Renaults and McLarens? We didn't expect that but it's good to be here.

"I think we've got a good race package," added Button. "I'm not going to say too much because I've seen the Renaults and McLarens in practice and their long run pace looks very good.

"We will just wait and see what happens but this is a good start anyway."

Button's only other pole position was at the San Marino Grand Prix last year, when he finished second to Ferrari's Michael Schumacher.

The Briton, who has the benefit of a fresh engine for Sunday's race, said Honda had brought a new specification engine while a revised aerodynamics package had also helped.