Q&A with Jenson Button

Q. Was it the rain that caught you out?

Jenson Button: I would like to say it was a case of getting caught out by the rain, and it might have cost us a tenth or two. But that is about it really. On my first run on the option tyre, I had a Toro Rosso through Becketts. He wasn't right in front of me, but it makes quite a big difference through Becketts - although it wasn't his fault really. I lost a bit of time there and that is what put me 16th initially.

Then it started raining. We went out at the end and thought: 'We've got to give it a go.' In the first sector we just couldn't get front tyre temperature and we are a car that runs quite low tyre temperatures anyway. We couldn't get the fronts working - although they started working after Becketts and the car was good. My second sector was about three tenths up and the third sector was up as well. But it wasn't quite enough. I qualified 17th, just pipped Nico Rosberg in the end - which is better than nothing - but it was a bit disappointing for Rubens and myself.

Q. What were the track conditions like on that last run?

JB: The first sector was the problem, as I just couldn't get heat in the fronts. Even so, if we had got a lap together we possibly could have just scraped into the top 15 but we would have been 15 after Q2 anyway. We haven't got a lot of pace in qualifying at the moment and I would say we are set up a little bit more for the wet, so maybe we could have gone a little bit quicker - but not a lot.

We just have to hope for rain tomorrow, and it looks like it is going to. Then, it is all up in the air. We will have to stay out of trouble on the first lap, which has been obviously quite difficult in the last two races, and if I can do that and make up enough places we can be on for a points finish - even from where we are.

Q. The car is okay in the wet, isn't it?

JB: It's alright. I don't think it is lightning quick. We won't be up there with the BMWs, Ferraris or McLarens, but it is alright. In the wet conditions it is just the unknown for everyone, so you can make up a bit of ground that way. And it's about getting the strategy right, as we have to make sure we understand how long the tyres are going to last. There is no point filling it up if the tyres aren't going to last. There are lots of different things we have to run through tonight, as well as look out for the weather.

Q. The season started quite brightly but appears to be suffering a bit of a dip...

JB: It is sort of since Canada. Rubens got points in Canada, but the actual pace of the car was not very good there. So the last three races we haven't been as competitive as we would have hoped. And it's not helped by the Toro Rossos getting the latest spec car, because it is a quick car as we have seen today. But it is difficult. We are making progress but everyone seems to be and we are not finding it in qualifying.

Q. Is today where you expected to be after qualifying?

JB: No, we expected to be a bit quicker. I don't think seventh was quite correct as a time from yesterday, but I expected to get through to Q2 and be fighting it out in the middle of that - so from 10th to 15th. So it was a bit disappointing going out in Q1, but there is no use in dwelling on it. We have to look at the reasons for it, for sure, and we have to look forward to tomorrow if it is wet and get some good chances out of it.

Q. What are the chances of another Hungary 2006 performance?

JB: Well, we were still quick in Hungary. In practice in Hungary we were third quickest or something, and I qualified fourth. So we are still a long way off Hungary pace - and even if it is wet tomorrow we are not going to win the race and we are not going to get onto the podium I shouldn't think. But we should be able to scrape into the points, which will be good. And so much can happen in the wet, so many incidents could happen, and there are a few people out of position as well, which will make it extra exciting.

Q. What is the prediction for the second half of the year as there are only one or two more updates to come?

JB: There are a couple of updates to come in the next few races. We will have some new things on the car, and we had some new things here. They have improved it, but I think a lot of people have made improvements. So we have to see if they work, and the next two updates are bigger than this one - so we will see. I am looking forward to it. I like Hockenheim and Hungary, so I am looking forward to going there. But first of all we have to see what we can do in the race tomorrow.