Button confident ahead of Spanish GP

Despite three wins in the first four races of the season, Jenson Button will be battling the odds at the Spanish Grand Prix if he starts anywhere other than on pole position on Sunday.

The Circuit de Catalunya is Formula One's most predictable track, one familiar to all from pre-season testing, and for the past eight years the driver starting on pole has ended up the winner.

Only once since the first race there in 1991 has victory gone to a driver not starting on the front row.

Championship leader Button won from fourth place in Bahrain last month, a stirring triumph hailed as his finest yet, but the Briton has yet to finish higher than sixth at the Spanish track.

This year, already turned on its head by Brawn's extraordinary start and the failure of last year’s champions Ferrari and McLaren to come up with a competitive car, failing to produce a strong show, promises to be different for him.

The Mercedes-powered team were stunningly quick in pre-season testing at the circuit.