By BAR F1
March 1 2005

After finishing a career high third in the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship for drivers, Jenson Button is understandably fired up for the start of this year's globetrotting Grand Prix series that kicks off in Australia on Sunday 6 March. "The season has come around so quickly but it's great to be heading to Melbourne again. Personally I can't wait to get stuck into what will be a challenging and exciting year for myself and the team," admits the Lucky Strike B.A.R Honda driver who knows last year's results have set high standards and expectations for 2005.

"Our success last season is a tough act for us to follow but we have made good progress over the winter and the past couple of tests in particular have given us a much better idea of the car's real potential. It will be very interesting to see how the new regulations pan out on the race track and the new qualifying format is going to be more mentally challenging for all of the drivers. I'm the fittest I have ever been though and have worked really hard over the close season to make sure I go into this season with the best preparation possible."

What's more, Jenson is a big fan of the Australian curtain raiser. "Melbourne is a great place to kick off the season - a great track and a great city. I started my run of podiums in Malaysia last year so my main objective next weekend is to be as strong as possible from the start. Only after the first race will we have a real understanding of where we are in comparison to our competition."