Don't push Button too fast, BAR warn fans.

Bar boss Dave Richards has warned a success-starved British public to face reality and accept Jenson Button is far from becoming a consistent world championship challenger to Michael Schumacher.

There are many who believe Button will one day lift the Formula One title, however, the 24-year-old has yet to once taste the victory champagne Schumacher has now savoured 80 times in the wake of his latest triumph at yesterday's British Grand Prix.

After all the pre-race hype, and the suggestion a miserable summer of British sport was about to come to an end at an expectant Silverstone, Button and a sell-out 100,000 crowd were left deflated as the home hero could only manage fourth.

Through no fault of his own, as Button later conceded, he drove his heart out, but the BAR was off the pace of Schumacher and Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello, as well as that of McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, who finished second.

Button is now worried BAR, the surprise package of the season given their dramatic improvement, have now gone as far as they can go this year.

A new engine step and aerodynamic package will be put through its paces in the final test session of the season in Jerez this week, and Richards is confident Button will not be let down.

However, he feels after all the hype surrounding Button in the build-up to the British Grand Prix, it is now time to come back down to earth again, conceding that an elusive win may be further away than people realised.

"Everyone seems to anticipate this win, but we are already well ahead of the target I set ourselves a couple of years ago," said Richards.

"A win, if it came, would be well ahead of expectation. But we have to be realistic and the British public also have to be realistic.

"We've a lot of work to do and another couple of years before we can consistently be at the front.

"Obviously, I'm not completely satisfied with our performance at Silverstone. Our target was to be on the podium.

"The car wasn't as quick as one would hope, but everything we do now becomes more and more difficult and the opportunity, and things you do, have a smaller influence.

"You have to also remember seasons go in cycles and you do have a series of a few races when you are slightly below where you might want to be.

"But then you keep working hard and try your best to improve."

Richards, however, is looking over his shoulder at McLaren, who appear to be threatening a challenge to the leading trio of constructors this season in Ferrari, Renault and BAR.

"They are improving," added Richards. "And it's something we will have to watch. But they are still a long way behind."