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Button delighted after top ten effort

Jenson Button expressed delight at qualifying in the top ten for the first time in 2008, after the Honda driver secured ninth place on the grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix

The 28-year-old told UK broadcaster ITV Sport that changes between Saturday morning's practice session and qualifying had made all the difference to his RA108 chassis and allowed him to crack in to Q3.

"It was good session," he said. "I struggled this morning with grip, we changed the balance overnight and while yesterday's balance was good this morning I really struggled. So we sorted the car out for qualifying.

"It's nice to be ninth and on the clean side of the grid, here it makes a big difference."

Button added that Honda's improving performance was not down to new developments but rather the team learning more about the 2008 car.

"We haven't actually changed anything on the car since the last race, we are just tickling it really and getting the best out of it," he said.

"This is quite a new car for us really. We only got this aero package just before the first race so I'm happy, we're moving forward and we will be in Barcelona as well."

Button's teammate Rubens Barrichello will start 12th, having missed out on a shot at the top ten in the dying moments of the second part of qualifying.

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