MOTOR SPORT/Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix:The baking-hot Sepang circuit holds special memories for Jenson Button, for it was here three years ago in a BAR-Honda that he claimed his first podium finish. In those days he was the young darling of the British fans; these days he has to walk past Britain's favourite driver to get to his car.
The contrasting fortunes in Melbourne last month of Lewis Hamilton, who finished third, and Button, who limped in 15th after a race beset by handling problems, told of a new era for British Formula One. Yesterday even the most powerful voice in the paddock was drawn to offer some advice.
Bernie Ecclestone, the sport's commercial-rights holder, said Button must stay loyal to Honda and power through his current problems in order to sustain his reputation as a Formula One contender. This will be a crucial season for 27-year-old Button, who has to work hard to break his recent cycle of disappointment, no matter how frustrated he may feel with the Japanese squad at present.
"Jenson really must get his act together this year, otherwise he's going to find the future very difficult, that's what it amounts to," said Ecclestone yesterday.
"But he really ought to stick with Honda to make it work, in my view. He needs to get his head down. Okay, so his current problems may not be his fault, and it's a shame they've happened, but he's just got to get things back on track."
Button, for his part, may be putting a brave public face on his disappointing start to the season.
But the signs are he is running out of patience with the Honda team's apparent inability to surmount the technical problems that have dogged their RA107 both in the Australian Grand Prix and during testing here at Sepang last week in preparation for tomorrow's second round of the championship.
In a sport where you are only as good as your last race, Button's dilemma is becoming starkly defined. Memories of his superb drive to victory in last year's Hungarian Grand Prix are starting to fade.
There is much speculation that Honda's management - like Toyota's - is hampered by bureaucratic log-jams between their racing bases in Europe and their corporate headquarters in Japan. The feeling is neither car-maker fully understands the need for formula one teams to have a lean, efficient management chain in order to maximise their efforts and resources.
That may well be so, but Button was making no bones about the fact he was expecting only a minor improvement at best this weekend after he and his team-mate Rubens Barrichello struggled with braking-instability problems during the Australian race.
He believes Honda need to make "big changes" to their RA107 if they are going to have any hope of turning round their disappointing season.
"We are expecting some big steps forward this year and there are some big changes being made, which we need to do," Button said. "There is no point in making small steps forward and finding a couple of hundredths; we need a big change and that is what we are working on."
For the moment Button faces the challenge of this afternoon's qualifying session in a car that is sliding around badly and overheating its tyres, with the consequent penalty in terms of poor grip.
Ecclestone may believe he should stay with Honda and fight his way through this difficult patch but that may be easier said than done.
On the strength of his and Honda's performances so far this season, the possibility of Button repeating his efforts of three years ago here tomorrow seems remote.
Guardian Service
