After a disappointing start to its 2007 campaign, there are hopes that Honda will stage a revival as the second phase of the season gets underway, with four races taking place over the next five weekends.
Jenson Button, who, like teammate Rubens Barrichello, has yet to score a point this season, is hoping that things could turn around as early as the French Grand Prix at the end of the month.
"I think that you're going to see improvements," said the Englishman. "The good thing is that there are lots of improvements coming throughout the year and they're making a difference.
"We're not putting things on the car at the moment that aren't working which was happening at the start of the season," he revealed, "but Magny-Cours is the race that I'm personally looking forward to. I think here (Montreal), where you need a very good car under braking, you need to have confidence in the car. Before Monaco I wouldn't have enjoyed this race but now that we have a car that's a lot more driveable and better under braking, I think that we should be able to have a reasonable result here.
"We really made a step forward with the car at Paul Ricard," he continued. "The pace might still not be there but the consistency definitely is and the confidence given to the drivers so it's a good step forward and hopefully we can just build on that over the next few races.
Team boss Nick Fry had previously claimed that it could take all season to resolve certain issues relating to the RA107, leading to claims that Honda was effectively writing off 2007 and concentrating on its 2008 contender. Asked if he thought the team should be concentrating on 2008, Button said: "Well, if we're focusing on 2008 we need to be thinking about making the improvements now.
"There's no use building a car for next year that's completely different to what we've had in the past," he continued. "We tried that a little bit this year and it hasn't worked. Whatever we do this season is going to help towards the 2008 car. Obviously that's our goal. As a team, our goals are to win races and in the end challenge for the World Championship. That's not going to happen this year but we need to be working towards next year now which is what we are doing, and I think that our pace is going to improve.
"I'm not sure if it's going to be quite like the end of last year," he added, referring to a remarkable run of results which saw him amass forty points from seven races, including that all-important win at the Hungaroring. "It would be nice, a nice way to end the season, but we don't know. So many things can change through the season, as we noticed last year. We started very strong, we had a slump in the middle of the year and then we were strong at the end, and that's something as a team we really do need to work on: to have the consistency throughout the season to fight at the front and that's something that we realise and it's something we're working very hard on achieving.
Asked how he though Tokyo might be reacting to its team's dismal season thus far, Button is adamant that all parts of the corporation are pulling together.
"Everyone is involved and everyone knows the reasons for our poor performances in the first part of the season," said the Englishman. "Because of those results it doesn't mean there is a bad atmosphere within the team, I think there is a very good atmosphere. Everyone is willing to do what they can to move forward and to make the things that aren't working right. I'm very positive with the atmosphere within the team, be it in Japan, be it in the UK. Everyone is very positive and working very closely together to make things right, which is nice to see. I've been very involved with talks within the team and the ideas that we have and the things that we have coming throughout the season are very positive. So I'm not negative in any way.
Button, who made his F1 debut in 2000 with Williams, is fully aware of the part he can play as this critical time.
"I think for a driver it's the same with any driver for any team," he said. "Their feedback is very important to the feeling of the car. Also making sure that the correct people are in the correct places within the team and we all have the same goal. It's important for every driver to be focussed and show that they are determined to do the best job they can for the team and with the team. If the driver isn't dedicated or focussed then the team is not going to be. But I can say that the whole team are very behind the drivers and the drivers the same with the team and we are all working together for a better future, only time will tell."
