F1: Button eyes podium finish

Jenson Button believes he can finally score the maiden podium finish of his Formula One career in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

The 22-year-old cruelly missed out on third spot at the last race in Malaysia when his Renault suffered a suspension failure just a couple of laps from the finish.

Button had to settle for equalling his career-best finish with fourth after being overtaken by world champion Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari on the final lap - but he is optimistic he can make amends this weekend.

‘‘It would be nice to get on the podium,’’ said the Frome-born racer, who became the youngest driver in championship history to score a point when finishing sixth in Brazil in only his second race with Williams in 2000.

‘‘I hope I might get the chance to do that this weekend and achieve what I missed out on at the last race in Sepang.’’

Button, gutted at his late problem in Malaysia after qualifying eighth, added: ‘‘We can’t compete with the quickest teams on pure pace at the moment.

‘‘But if the circumstances fall in our favour again we could get there. We shall have to wait and see where we qualify and then see what happens in the race.’’

Renault’s technical director Mike Gascoyne reckons the team still have work to do before they can give Button - and Jarno Trulli - the car to take the fight to Ferrari, Williams and McLaren.

‘‘We need more speed to challenge the top three teams on merit but we are definitely moving in the right direction,’’ said Gascoyne. ‘‘We have every reason to be optimistic.

‘‘Our aim is to give the drivers a car that will allow them to finish on what is traditionally a tough circuit in terms of reliability.

‘‘I expect to be qualifying behind the top six and hope to score points to confirm our fourth place in the pecking order.’’

Button, who has regained the confidence behind the wheel he lost last season in the then Benetton, believes he has the fitness to cope with the anti-clockwise Brazilian track.

‘‘Interlagos runs in the opposite direction to most of the circuits on the grand prix calendar, and that really works the neck on the other side to normal,’’ he added.

‘‘But we have been concentrating on this in training, and I am confident that I will be able to cope with the challenge.’’