Button Confident of Strong Race

Jenson Button is optimistic of fighting for the points in tomorrow's United States Grand Prix after qualifying in 11th position.

"We finally got on top of the set-up with my car this morning and it was working reasonably well," said the BAR driver, whose team are fighting to keep fifth place in the standings. "By the time we got to warm-up, the wind had picked up and the track temperature had increased and like most people I found myself with a different car.

"It wasn't too bad in qualifying; the balance was there but we're still finding grip hard to come by. I think we'll be quite strong in the race and we'll be fighting for valuable points."

BAR had a reasonable day despite fears that they would struggle in the dry. Button's teammate Jacques Villeneuve posted the 12th quickest time, some three tenths of a second behind the Briton.

"I'm happy with the lap," said Villeneuve. "Finally, the car was driveable. We made changes just before qualifying, and it worked. Normally, you never do that. Suddenly, the car had better grip, and I could drive it harder with more confidence."