Willis pleased but not complacent

BAR technical director Geoff Willis is, naturally, pleased about Jenson Button's third place in Sepang but the result is not going to make the team complacent. BAR appears to be the most improved team after winter testing and Button's first podium finish in Malaysia lived up to Willis' expectations of the Englishman, whom he was keen to have at BAR.

Podium: race winner Michael Schumacher with Juan Pablo Montoya and Jenson Button.

Photo by Ferrari Media Center.

"It was a very good drive from Jenson," he said. "He matures very quickly. He has a lot of experience. He is very smooth, calm, not easily ruffled. He and the engineers work very well together and he fits well with the team. He is stepping up and gets more confidence all the time."

"I have been very confident with Jenson from when David (Richards, team boss) and I talked about getting him in the car. I certainly wanted him in the car and he is doing what we wanted."

BAR nearly scored a double points finish at Sepang but Takuma Sato's engine blew just three laps from the end, losing him eighth place. Willis is confident in the progress made by the team but knows there is still a lot of hard work to be done.

"We knew from our concept car we had made a big improvement on the car. We were very confident with the aerodynamics," he said. "Now we are close enough to start fighting with the top teams. We certainly don't want to get too complacent."

"This was a hard struggle, but it was on merit we just have to make sure we keep developing the car and we will have new parts for Bahrain and for Imola. I don't think you can ever make a sudden step. You have to make logical progression, keep calm and keep that continuous push."

"Nobody ever wins suddenly. It might appear suddenly to come from nowhere, but it is steady progress. We have to make sure we don't falter. We are not the biggest team and we have to be focused that we have the right things in the car, the right things in the engine."