By Phil Huff
October 5 2006

Honda Racing F1's Jenson Button spent time in the Suzuka press room today, talking about the circuit, its challenges, the weather, and just how good the future is looking. Jenson, a year ago your Honda future was confirmed; looking back, what were your hopes then, have they been fulfilled?

For sure not. We came into this season wanting to challenge for a win at every race and that hasn't been the case, but we have had our first win as a team, which is fantastic. The thing that we know we have to work on is to have that at every race we go to, but we are working as hard as we possibly can, to improve the car in certain areas. For sure the new wind tunnel has helped us massively. It's obviously helped us a little bit this year, our improvements, our race performance improved a lot when we arrived in Hockenheim and since then we've been reasonably competitive, but I think it's for next year that the wind tunnel is going to make a bigger difference. The way things are going, I'm very very happy with the situation and not just for next year but for the future.

You've had good results here, so what are your feelings about the race?

I think I've raced here six times and every time I've been in the top... I've scored points so hopefully we're going to have a good race. If it's wet it throws everything up in the air and we might be in the right place at the right time. I think strategy-wise we're very good. I think we do get the best out of what we have. At the moment we don't have the best car but I think we're doing a very good job with what we do have and if it's wet, we have a chance of challenging at the front. If it's dry, it's a lot more difficult but I think that we need to think that we're going to be fighting for a podium. I think that's got to be the aim.

So in that way, you'd prefer wet in a way?

Yeah, I would. In Shanghai it didn't really work out for me. I had a few issues with damaging the tyres but yeah, the car works well in the wet and I think we can have a good result.

This is one of the world's great tracks. From a driver's point of view, what do you need for a fast lap and from a set-up point of view, what are the challenges?

Well, it is a very technical circuit, especially through turn two to eight and we don't know what it is going to be like in a V8 because obviously we don't have as much torque now but those corners are just crazy and it is non-stop. You need mentally to be pretty strong. They come up on you so fast. I think personally you need to be very precise and if you make one mistake through that complex you lose a lot of time. So being precise is very important and you do need a good car under you and trying to set up a car round here is tough. And you don't get so many laps in practice and it's quite difficult especially if it is going to be wet conditions Friday and Saturday. It does make it very difficult. Not just for us, but for everyone.

And of all your races here, what has been your best memory?

On the podium, here, in 2004. There is a massive following here for Honda. And it was a very special moment. But this will be my best moment of my career here racing at Suzuka anyway until we come back here, hopefully, because it is the last time and you know I love this place. It's Honda's home circuit and I am very disappointed to see it go. The racing here over the last few years has been fantastic and it is one of my favourite circuits along with probably Spa.