Motorsport

The team put their improved performance down to the mid-season revamp their car has been through. Button (image) and team-mate Rubens Barrichello could only qualify 12th and 13th in France, but Button drove a storming race to finish eighth. Even so, he admitted he didn’t think the boost would have a dramatic effect on their season.

He said: “I qualified 17th here last year and this time I am 12th, so we are better. But after Silverstone last season we made a significant improvement, and we just have to hope that happens again. “We’re a long way off the front teams at the moment, and to do what we did last year will be difficult. I don’t expect that this year. But I expect to be quicker and score points regularly towards the end of the season.”

He added: “We have made a step forward and the car is certainly better than at the last race in Indianapolis, although our position doesn’t really reflect that. It’s nice to be in front of some of our direct competitors in the midfield. Our race pace is definitely better than our one-lap pace.”