Honda face a pivotal week as they look to resurrect Jenson Button's dream of a debut victory this season.

The Englishman met team managers at the Brackley factory yesterday to pick over the bones of yet another disappointment, finishing seventh despite starting the San Marino Grand Prix from the front row.

That result, caused partly by a pit blunder, took Button to 104 races without a win and he is growing frustrated with mistakes from the team which are ruining his chances.

Honda will be back testing this week at Silverstone, as they aim to bring their car up to the pace of world championship leaders Renault.

Team principal Nick Fry remains resolutely optimistic and insists some progress has already been made.

He said: "It's very clear, if you take out all the problems, we are faster than we were in Australia. If you look at the race pace Jenson would have been competing for third or fourth place.

"Certainly we have taken a step in the right direction. Are we competitive with the Renault? Absolutely not. We still need to do more work and we will be hard at it at Silverstone this week.

"The team is incredibly strong and we have a fast car. The pace of the car is better we need to take the next step."

Button's team-mate Rubens Barrichello painted a gloomier picture of their chances this season.

The Brazilian joined Honda from Ferrari over the winter and has struggled in his new environment, scoring just two points. After finishing ninth at Imola he confessed his car was simply not quick enough.

"Once again we have the pace in qualifying and not in the race," said Barrichello, who started the race from third, just behind Button.

"Theres lots of work to do we are still far away from what I think the car is capable of. We have to work on the car before we can blame anything.

"The team is quite relaxed. It is small things that aren't happening and that's no good for us. It's a combination of things.

"We are making it stronger and better very day but it's not good enough to compensate for those small problems. We need to get to the bottom of the situation."

Barrichello's arrival for the team's first year as the official Honda outfit was supposed to herald a golden age for the squad, who started life as BAR in 1999.

Those dreams have come to little so far but despite just one podium so far this year, Fry is adamant he can take the heat and turn the team around.

He added: "I am a big boy. I have had 30 years in the motor industry and sometimes it gets tough.

"These are the times when the bosses have to really hold their heads up. These are the times when you earn your money.