Barrichello aims to spoil Button's big day at Silverstone

Rubens Barrichello will do all he can to wreck team-mate Jenson Button's British Grand Prix homecoming at Silverstone on Sunday.

"I think I will give Jenson a run for his money," said the Brawn driver, 26 points adrift of the runaway Formula One championship leader, looking forward to one of his favourite tracks.

"At the end of the day, after 17 years, there is no emotional side to this," added the 37-year-old Brazilian, who has competed in more grands prix than any other driver.

"If I have the chance (to win), I would not think twice. If you ask Jenson, although we get on well, he would say the same thing. He would win in Brazil without thinking twice."

Button, after scoring just three points with Honda last year, is on an amazing roll and can become the first British driver to win seven of the first eight races of the season.

It will also, in all probability, be his last chance to win a grand prix at Silverstone with the British round due to be hosted by Donington Park next year.

The Englishman has never finished higher than fourth in nine appearances at his home race while Barrichello, who made his debut in 1993 with Silverstone-based Jordan, won with Ferrari in 2003.

The Brazilian has finished on the podium a further four times there and twice qualified on pole position.

"He was always extremely strong at Silverstone, I think because of his early career when a lot of time was spent here," said team boss Ross Brawn, who was with Barrichello at Ferrari as technical director.

"He just seems to fit with the track, he likes the track and it suits his driving style.

"It's not a track that's particularly sensitive to brakes, and that's an area that often he finds quite critical on the car, so I expect him to go very well this weekend," added Brawn.

"And he's hugely motivated despite the challenge of beating Jenson this year."

No 'team orders'

Despite the obvious importance to Button of winning his home race, Brawn emphasised there would be no 'team orders' and both drivers were free to race each other.

"We haven't changed our approach at all on that," he said. "I just don't want them to hit each other, and I can't even stop that. If it happens, it happens.

"I don't expect them to do a 50-50 overtaking manoeuvre where they are both put at risk. For the rest of it, they are free to race and I think that helps with the atmosphere in the team. I think on balance it is a positive thing."

Button's first appearance in his home country as championship leader will be the high point of a weekend that has been overshadowed in the build-up by a full-blown crisis over the 2010 rules.

Britain's Lewis Hamilton won last year, leaving all rivals trailing with one of the great performances in the wet, but he will be betting on Button this year after struggling to score in his uncompetitive McLaren.

"Points are definitely the goal for us," Hamilton told reporters. "I guess we have to adjust from last year.... now it's a struggle to get into the points."

Brawn's major rivals are likely to be the Red Bulls of Germany's Sebastian Vettel and Australian Mark Webber, as well as Ferrari and Toyota.

Webber qualified on the front row last year and is another fan of Silverstone.

"We'll have to wait and see how we compare to them at Silverstone. I expect us to be strong there, but whether it's enough I don't know," Webber said.

Factbox British GP

Venue: Silverstone.

Lap: 5.141 km/3.194 miles. Race distance: 308.355 km/191.604 miles (60 laps).

Race lap record: Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari - 1:18.739 (2004).

2008 pole position: Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) McLaren - 1:21.049.

2008 winner: McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton won a wet race by an incredible 68.5 seconds, lapping all but the other two drivers on the podium in one of the all-time great performances. BMW-Sauber's Nick Heidfeld was second with Honda's Rubens Barrichello third for his first podium since 2005.