Button Targets Podium Finish

Jenson Button is convinced his BAR team can still achieve their goal of a race win this year although not perhaps on their return to action at Sunday's European Grand Prix

The Briton and his Japanese teammate Takuma Sato have missed the last two Formula One races after Button's car was found to be underweight at the San Marino Grand Prix.

"We're very pleased to be back, it's been very strange not racing," said Button. "But it's also been so exciting knowing that we're going to come back this weekend and hopefully have a good race.

"We're all very positive that we've done the very best that we can over the last few weeks and we're going to be strong here."

Having not competed at the last race in Monaco, the BAR cars will have the considerable disadvantage of being first out in Saturday's qualifying - a single session that replaces the two run in the first six rounds of the Championship.

"The only problem is that we're going out first in qualifying and there aren't two sessions to help us out," said the 25-year-old. "I wish they'd changed the qualifying next race.

"Qualifying in the top six or seven is going to be very difficult. I think we'll be quick enough to be up there even if we start down in 10th or something."

New Rule

Another problem for Button is that because of the new rule this season that engines must last two races, his car will have the same engine they ran at Imola on April 24.

"The engine's been sitting around for five weeks so that won't help," he said. "I think that if we could have a fresh engine here we would be very strong."

Button said the car had made a "big step up" in testing after Imola.

"We're not here to challenge for the championship, we're here to challenge for race wins," he said. "That's always been the aim this year anyhow.

"This race is going to be a bit difficult but then we have a very good chance of challenging Renault and McLaren and anybody else who's up there."

Button and Sato were disqualified from the San Marino Grand Prix because of the infringement and that deprived the team of their first points of the season and Button of his third place.

"I stood on the podium and as far as I'm concerned we deserved to be there," said the Briton, who was third at the Nurburgring and in the drivers' standings last season.

"I want to get back up on the podium this weekend for the guys in the team. It'll be difficult but anything can happen."