I want a quick response, says off-the-pace Jenson Button

The defending champion could only manage seventh at yesterday's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix while team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished on the podium behind race winner Fernando Alonso, who led Felipe Massa home in a Ferrari one-two.

Somewhat ominously for Button, McLaren were well off the pace of both the Ferraris and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who looked on course for victory before suffering an engine problem.

But Button said: "It's a good first race, I'm happy with it — we did okay. Ferrari seem very quick — Lewis was something like 24 seconds behind them.

"That's still a big margin but I'm conscious that our car is competitive. We don't have the same pace as Ferrari and there are a few areas where we can improve the car and we'll work on that for Melbourne. We can do better than that — we know that as a team."

Button had qualified eighth on the grid but made up a place on Mark Webber following a blistering pitstop by his McLaren team. Hamilton, meanwhile, profited from Vettel's misfortune to earn a surprise place on the podium and Button was quick to pay tribute to his new team-mate.

"Lewis did a great job out there to finish on the podium," said Button. "While I was 20 seconds off his pace, I got stuck in traffic and I missed the best lap to pit. Lewis took that but that's fine as he had track position."

Judging by the current pace of the McLaren at Button's disposal, the Briton faces a tough task to defend the title he won at last year's Brazilian Grand Prix.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh echoed Button's sentiment that the team need to raise their game for Melbourne but paid tribute to their newest recruit following his debut.

"Jenson's really found his way into the team," said Whitmarsh. "He's liked by everyone including Lewis.

Racing wise, I think he'll be disappointed with how qualifying went but he looked good in the race and he did what he had to do to get past Mark Webber.

After that, he caught Michael Schumacher but he couldn't pass him which is always difficult to do anyway.

Judging by their pace, Red Bull look likely to be the team to beat Down Under should they rectify the engine complaint that saw Vettel drop from a race-winning position to fourth.

Schumacher, meanwhile, managed sixth place and afterwards the seven-time world champion admitted he had struggled throughout the weekend.

However, he warned critics against writing off his title ambitions and said: "It's the first race so it's much too early to say it's too late for me."