Schumi presses panic Button before Barcelona

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher sees Briton Jenson Button as the biggest threat to his hopes of a perfect fifth win in a row on Sunday. The six...

Ferrari8217;s Michael Schumacher sees Briton Jenson Button as the biggest threat to his hopes of a perfect fifth win in a row on Sunday.

The six times world champion is gunning for his fourth successive Spanish Grand Prix victory to add his name to another Formula One record by equalling Briton Nigel Mansell8217;s best ever start to a season in 1992.

But Barcelona could be BAR8217;s best chance yet of ending Ferrari8217;s domination after emerging as their main challengers at the last San Marino Grand Prix.

8216;8216;We would like to continue our series of victories at Barcelona, even if things are becoming more difficult,8217;8217; said Schumacher.

8216;8216;Spain will be the hardest test so far and, as I said at Imola, I expect BAR-Honda to perform well.

8216;8216;They did well during winter testing and in the last round of tests at Barcelona and it wouldn8217;t surprise me if they showed this form again this weekend. I am tempted to say that they are among the favourites but Renault are up there too.8217;8217;

Button will have his work cut out but after three successive podiums, including a second place at Imola, the 24-year-old has become a serious contender for a breakthrough first win for himself and his team.

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BAR secured their first podium in Barcelona with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve in 2001 and the team did more than 8,500 km of testing there before the season with impressive times.

8216;8216;We should be very competitive in Spain and, hopefully, even closer to the red cars,8217;8217; said Button, who beat Schumacher to pole position at the last race.

Button is third overall in the championship, a point behind Schumacher8217;s Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello.

Schumacher remains the favourite however. The German8217;s record in Spain is simply awesome and nobody has beaten Ferrari since last August.

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The champion has won there five times in all, including the last three years. He has started on pole position for the last four and scored points in every one of his 13 starts.

Ferrari have shown this season, with two dominant one-two finishes in four races, that they are in a class of their own once they hit the front.

But if Schumacher were to be held up behind another car at the start, as he almost was at Imola when he clashed with Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya8217;s Williams on the first lap, it could be a different story. Reuters