By Phil Huff
April 1 2006

Pole position in Melbourne means that Honda Racing F1 driver Jenson Button had to face the media in the Fastest Three press conference. Obviously thrilled from his qualifying run, here's what Jenson had to say... Jenson, your third pole, tell us about that last 20 minutes?

Manic. The whole day's been pretty manic with the weather but we were a little bit off the pace when qualifying started. We were really struggling for grip so to finally get this pole position is fantastic and it shows how keeping relaxed – the whole team – and very very focused that we were able to get the pole position. So it's fantastic and it's great for the team. Honda have done a fantastic job over the last few weeks and it's good to repay (them) with a pole position. I know it's not the end result but it's a good start.

You can't do a lot to the car once the qualifying session begins, so how did you work on that problem?

Well, it was working with the diff, the TC, the tyre pressures, the front wing. There are so many little things that you can change that do help and it was really just playing around with that because we haven't had any practice in the dry, really, over the last couple of days. So it worked and I've got to thank the team for that. They did a great job.

You've always said how much you enjoy this new qualifying system in 2006 and this one had it all: rain, traffic, accidents?

Yes, it did. It was a very hectic session and I'm sure that the fans really enjoyed it. It was mad for us. Trying to get a lap time in was very difficult but we did it in the end and as I said, it's a special feeling being on pole here.

Your feelings after that and looking forward to the race tomorrow?

I'm still shaking with the excitement. It was a manic session: the first one with a red flag and the second one with a red flag, it was really difficult to stay calm. But to get the lap in at the end was a great feeling. The car felt very good, very good actually, on the new tyres. It was a little bit unexpected after the first two runs in qualifying one and qualifying two, but it's good, and I am very happy with it. I still don't know about the race. I haven't really done that much long race pace but I'm sure it will be good.

You had a brief off in Q1 as well.

Yeah. I've been going off a lot this weekend. I went off twice yesterday as well. It's a bit unusual but the conditions have just been so tricky out there: it's very very windy, it's very very low grip so to make a mistake is very easy. It's bumpy as well so it's tough.

Your teammate had some sort of a problem, I don't know what it was. Did you have any idea what was happening with him and did you have any similar problem?

I think his problem was just no tyre temperature - I think, but I will have to wait to get back and find out but I think that was the issue.

And you had a bit of a problem with that in the first two parts?

Yeah, I did a little bit but we were making sure that we were keeping the blankets on for a long time because it's really tough to keep the heat in the tyres. I don't know if you've seen but a lot of the cars, on the straight, are weaving around to get tyre temperature. It's because it's different conditions here than what we expected, I think.

You had a problem with your start in Bahrain and you've got two of the fastest cars off the line around you, is that something you're concerned with?

It's better to be in front now than it is to be behind, so we're in the best position we possibly can be. Our start wasn't too bad in Malaysia; it wasn't as good as the Renaults' but it wasn't too bad either. We've just got to hope that we get a relatively good start. We're on the clean side and it's the right line for turn one so it's not so bad.

I was wondering, as you said you did not have too many laps at race pace, is that a concern for you – and do you think the Honda is as quick as the Renaults?

It is very difficult to know, but personally I haven't done a lot of laps over the last few days in the dry, but the thing is that we have the third car, which is great and Anthony is a very good driver and I believe in everything he says. He did his normal running on Friday and went quickest in both sessions and did some reasonably long runs as well. It is not too worrying. I just meant personally I have not done so many laps around here, but that doesn't seem to be a problem.

Did you realise that you have made an important event in the history of Honda after 37 years since their only pole position at Monza?

I didn't know that before today but it's a very special feeling and I have already seen a few of the guys from Honda and they seem pretty ecstatic, but I am sure that more important for them is to have a win tomorrow. This is a great feeling to be on pole position, but we know how competitive the Renaults are and we know we have to have a faultless race tomorrow and I know we can do that. In the team, we are very confident and calm and we know exactly what we have to do. So, tomorrow is the important day for us.

In Malaysia you said 'we are the second team in the championship, but we have to work a lot' because in the first lap Giancarlo was able to put a very good gap in just one lap… Do you think that you have closed that gap?

Well, I think that over one lap the car seems to be very quick and so it just depends whether we have in a race situation. We have worked on a few areas in Vallelunga – or the team did – that are an improvement. I think they are the sort of things that improve you in a race, but not qualification so much. So, they should help us, but still we have to wait until tomorrow to see how competitive we are. We know we've not won a race yet and it is our aim to do that, but it is never easy when you have such competition from Renault.