Button rules out British GP victory
The runaway championship leader has struggled at the wheel of his Brawn at Silverstone, and is now resigned to seeing his 26-point advantage reduced at the end of Sunday's 60-lap race.
"It's going to be pretty difficult for me (to win)," he told reporters at the Northamptonshire track. "Almost impossible. I think a podium is also difficult."
The Briton's struggles had not only his teammate Rubens Barrichello smiling, but also the quicker occupant of the front row, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel who trails Button in the drivers' championship by a full 32 points.
The German's car is equipped with significant changes this weekend, and Vettel admitted he will be happy if Button, 29, on Sunday records his first finish of 2009 off the podium.
"I would be lying to you if I said that I hoped that Jenson (Button) was straight behind me," 21-year-old pole sitter Vettel said.
Barrichello confessed that the RB5, also driven by third placed Mark Webber, is simply "better" than the Brawn this weekend.
Webber, whose last qualifying effort was affected by the slowing Kimi Raikkonen, said: "This is the quickest the car's been this year.
"They (Brawn) are still a long way ahead in both championships, we're aware of that and we're doing our best to close up," added the Australian.