Thursday March 28th, 2002

Briton Jenson Button has said he is confident of challenging for the first podium of his Formula One career in this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix but denied success has changed him.

After his sensational debut season with Williams in 2000, Button struggled in an under-performing Benetton but his performances in the first two races of this year with the re-badged Renault team have already shown he is back on form.

And after narrowly missing out on third place in Malaysia two weekends ago, when suspension problems tuned an almost certain podium finish into a disappointing fourth, he laughed off suggestions that 2002 is his re-birth.

"I am a different man," he joked. "Completely different. I am even going to change my name."

But Button, 22, knows he has stepped up a gear this season and, with Renault already making a strong claim to finish 'best of the rest' behind Ferrari, Williams and McLaren, he says he has found a better team focus.

"I have got to grips with working with the team," he said. "I have been working harder than I ever have and I have spent a lot of time at the factory.

"There were some very bad times last year and coming through that has helped me. But I don't think I am a different person at all."

He admitted the disappointment from Sepang is still raging in his head as he prepares for the gruelling race in the high temperatures at the Interlagos circuit on Sunday, but insisted he is confident the results will come.

"When you are running fourth for the whole race then to finish fourth is good, but when it could have been an easy third it was very tough to finish off the podium," he said. "I am not quite over it.

"But we are moving forward and we keep improving race by race so hopefully that will show here this time."

Published at 17:27:21 GMT