Button knows he will need to be tough

Jenson Button is expecting a tough time at this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix as he tries to turn around a minor slump in form.

Button, 22, strung together an impressive run of three consecutive top-six finishes to take an early lead in the race for the 'Top Briton' title this year, but he has failed to finish in the points at the last two events.

"I think Canada will be slightly tough for us," he said of his chances at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. "The car has to work well there and it is quite a slippery circuit like Monaco. But we have more developments, and I am quite positive we are still going to be racing against the McLarens."

Button has now dropped to sixth in the championship, with Scot David Coulthard's victory for McLaren in Monaco taking him 12 points clear and moving him to fourth in the overall championship standings.

Button believes that the Canadian circuit, located on an island in the Saint Lawrence River between the Olympic rowing basin and downtown of Montreal, will not do him any favours because it helps powerful cars and his Renault engine lacks that extra oomph.

He said: "You've got two long straights. It is a strange circuit and there is not a lot to it all. It has a lot of chicanes but there is not really a massively challenging corner. Nevertheless, it is a good circuit and you need a car that rides the kerbs well. The circuit will rubber-in all weekend and, hopefully, Michelin can produce a good tyre for the race."

The track tends to comprise high speed straights and heavy braking into slow corners and that set-up can provide some good opportunities for overtaking - none more so than the hairpin threequarters of the way around the circuit.

Button explained: "Leading down to the hairpin you get up to around 300kmh in fifth gear and in the race this is one of the best overtaking opportunities. During practice I will be looking at different lines here that I can use in the race."

The final corner on to the start-finish straight, however, has been adapted this year, to avoid the disasters of past seasons, when there was a wall located just inches away from the track.

It was regularly hit by drivers who travelled into the corner slightly too fast, and Button backed the decision to move it to create some run-off area.

He said. "I've never hit it, but it has caused so many accidents."

F1 2002 - complete guide