Button Rules Out Fighting Renault, McLaren

The BAR driver, however, says he is ready to pick up the pieces if the top two teams get into trouble.

"The car has been working well here all weekend and our main strength has been our long-distance performance to get a good lap in qualifying I am very happy," said Button, fourth quickest behind the two Renault drivers and Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren.

"I think the Renaults and McLarens will be as quick as ever, but I think they will be battling, there will be a lot of tactics involved with both teams and we have just got to stay close enough to pick up the pieces when something happens, and I am sure it will.

"They are a lot quicker than us on the straight. We are not going to be able to overtake them, it is just we will be stopping later than them maybe, on the pitstops I think the Renaults will be stopping earlier than the McLarens and maybe us.

"I am not going to get too excited, I have done that at the last couple of races. I think we a have got to say the McLarens and Renaults are too quick in a straight line, maybe they will be fighting amongst themselves and tripping themselves up, which will help us.

"If I keep Juan Pablo behind me at the start that will be good but we will have to see what the strategies are."

Button, who will be the youngest driver to compete in 100 Grands Prix on Sunday, played down the achievement saying he is still to win a race.

"It doesn't really mean anything for me, the only positive thing is that I have completed 100 races and I am 25 years old, so it is pretty impressive I suppose," he said. "You have to think about the negatives that I haven't won a race, but I am not walking around thinking about that."

The BAR driver was slowed by a food poisoning on Friday, but despite losing weight he feels he is fit for the race.

"I am fine. I am a bit lighter than I was two days ago, by about 2kg, I have lost a bit of weight, which probably isn't good, but I feel fine. I don't feel weak at all, maybe it is a good thing, maybe I need to do that every race on a Thursday."