Fry won't push Button

Jenson Button prepares for his 100th Formula One start in Shanghai this weekend with BAR-Honda boss Nick Fry calming the clamour for a maiden win.

The 25-year-old has yet to sample victory in Formula One since arriving in 2000, despite stints with Williams, Benetton, Renault and BAR.

No driver in Formula One history has hit the century mark without registering a win and gone on to become world champion but Fry claims Button should feel no pressure to break his duck.

He said: “The monkey is on the team’s back to provide a good car. I don’t think there any monkeys on Jenson’s back.

“If you have got an excellent car and if you are a good driver, you can do a good job. Jenson is driving what clearly isn’t the best car to the best of his ability, which clearly is to a very high level.

“I really don’t buy that there’s any huge pressure on Jenson. It’s our job to give him the right equipment but I see no reason why Jenson can’t be world champion.”

For his part, Button concedes his 2005 season has not quite matched 2004, when he finished third in the drivers’ championship after a string of mature performances.

Button went into last season without a podium to his name but once the first arrived in Malaysia, a flood of nine more followed in quick succession.

But this year, despite high hopes of a maiden win, BAR have struggled against poor early form, a two-race ban and a performance gap to McLaren and Renault.

Rating his displays this year, Button said: “Was I 100% happy with my performance last year? No, but I was pretty damned happy.

“Last year I reckon was 90%, this year I’ve made a couple of mistakes but the car’s been difficult to drive so I’d say about 80%.

“I actually think I’ve had better performances this year, I have driven better when I have driven well.

“There’s just a couple of times when I’ve made mistakes but I suppose that is normal when the car is not performing as well, as you can see with Michael Schumacher.”

With 99 grands prix starts under his belt already, Button is on exactly the same level Sir Jackie Stewart reached before retiring with three world championships and 27 wins.

However, Button has never had the fastest car on the grid and none of his team-mates have won a race in the seasons they partnered the Englishman.

Button feels the hard slog towards the top step of the podium could work in his favour if and when that first win arrives. He is sure success will taste even sweeter after six seasons of longing.

“I’ve made mistakes but I’ve learned from them but I wouldn’t change my career, definitely not,” he said. “It would be nice to have won races in my second season but you need to be with the correct team to do that and I haven’t been.

“It’s just the way it’s happened but I wouldn’t change it. I’ve experienced a lot in Formula One, more than most drivers on an off the circuit.

“Some drivers are lucky enough when they come into Formula One to come straight into a top team and start winning races, some people aren’t.

“The way it’s been for me I’ve probably gained a lot more experience than most people. I know how difficult it can be, I’ve experience that side of it.

“When you do achieve things it makes it that bit more emotional when you do get your first win, when you have got a car that’s competitive enough to challenge the best teams in Formula One.”