Button: RA107 needs 'a big change'

Button and teammate Rubens Barrichello struggled for pace in the opening free practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix. And the Briton is adamant that only a major revamp is going to help turn matters around.

"We are expecting some big steps forward this year and there are some big changes being made, which we need to do," Button said.

"There is no point in making small steps forward and finding a couple of hundredths, we need a big change - and that is what we are working on."

Button is convinced that the team must keep working together through the crisis they are facing, rather than undergo the kind of staff reshuffle that took place last year.

"There is no use firing people willy nilly just to show the outside world that you are doing something about it," said Button. "That is not going to help at all.

"The ideas behind the car are changing rapidly, we just need to try different directions. There is so much going on at the wind tunnel, and there is no point sitting back and saying, 'right we've got a crap car let's just wait for next year.'"

Although team boss Nick Fry has targeted a big step forward for the start of the European season in Spain, Button admitted he is not expecting a breakthrough until much later in the year.

"Before Barcelona there is not much testing, but hopefully by mid season we will have a different package to what we have now," he said.

"Hopefully we won't be fighting outside the top ten and hopefully we will be a lot more competitive."