Button Stays Positive despite Pace
Jenson Button has issued a rallying call to his BAR team to keep the faith and not get dis-heartened by their current struggles in Formula One after a disappointing Friday practice for his home Grand Prix
The British driver could only manage the 11th best time in the second practice session at Silverstone, after focusing on long-runs for afternoon practice, but believes the team can deliver on Sunday if they keep focused.
"I think it is going to be very difficult, but we have got to set our sights high," said Button, who saw teammate Takuma Sato down in 19th spot. "We must think positive and think that we can challenge the Renaults.
"I think the McLarens are going to be a bit more difficult but it is going to be fun to challenge the Renaults and Ferraris this weekend."
Button does not need any reminding that BAR still lie at the bottom of the Constructors' Championship - but he is confident that the team's second half of the year will be a different story to their disastrous start to the campaign.
"I am positive we are a very strong team and we have had some great races this year, even though the outcome of the races has not been positive," he explained. "It is down to bad luck and mistakes, a bit of everything.
"But it is nice to have a competitive car here and I think we can have a good weekend. We have to wait and see, but we can't have any more bad luck and we can't make any more mistakes.
"The aim is to close in on the two top teams, Renault and McLaren. We are still a bit behind not just in results but pace during the race. We are a bit closer than we were in Magny-Cours, so that is good."
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Jenson Button |
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
Why the demise of F1's hypocritical spending habit is cause for celebration
For too long, F1's richest teams have justified being able to spend as much as they want because that's the way they've always conducted their business. STUART CODLING says that's no reason not to kick a bad habit
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is not guaranteed
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
The themes to watch in F1’s Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
