Button fears McLaren luck may run out

Budapest: Jenson Button believes he must finish on the podium in Sunday`s Hungarian Grand Prix if his McLaren team are to maintain their lead in the world championship.

Defending champion Button admitted that results in recent races have helped his team`s cause, but admitted that unless they pick up some better finishes, it is only a matter of time before their luck runs out. "At this stage of the season we need to be fighting for podiums," said the Englishman. "Lucky for us it has been one Red Bull fast, one not so fast and they haven`t really taken too many points off us recently, but I`m sure that could change very quickly.” "The good thing is it`s very competitive at the moment and we`re all taking points off each other. Of course we would love to win, but we need to be on the podium this weekend.” Button, winner in Hungary 2006, is hoping that rival teams Red Bull and Ferrari will not hold such a significant speed advantage as they did in Germany last weekend. "We struggled a little bit in Hockenheim, balance was good but we couldn`t create enough downforce," he said. "Here, you pretty much bolt on all you`ve got so we will be a lot stronger and more competitive." His McLaren team-mate and fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton, last year`s Hungary winner, is also hoping that his car will profit from the high-downforce nature of the track. He said: "We haven`t made any upgrades since the last grand prix, but hopefully being a high-downforce circuit we should be closer to the guys ahead who were incredibly fast in the last race.” "One thing we have is reliability, it may not be the fastest car at the moment but I have no doubts that my team will find the downforce and the speed.” "It is a good race for the team and also for myself and Jenson so I`m hoping that we`ll be able to challenge the guys a bit more at the front." However, the 25-year-old Englishman insisted that he was not taking his lead in the championship for granted. "You can never be comfortable," he said. "A 14-point lead is nothing, it`s what? Two and a half, three points in the old system? So not a lot.” "We need to fight to win. I have nothing to defend - the title`s not mine, I`m not the current champion so I have everything to fight for." Bureau Report