Jenson Button has written off his chances of breaking his Formula One duck in his own backyard in Monaco this weekend.

The Honda driver's real home race comes in two weeks' time at Silverstone, but he said he had no chance of arriving back in Britain with a winner's trophy to place on his mantelpiece.

"I'd love to win but that's not really on the cards I would say," he said. "On this sort of circuit you can get closer and we can make a bit of a difference but we are not going to be close to the Renaults or the Ferraris, no way.

"They beat us by a minute in Barcelona. That's almost a second a lap so that would be tough."

Button lives in the Mediterranean tax haven, but has raced on his local streets just once in three years, a consequence of his 2003 practice accident and BAR's 2005 ban.

That one race was one to remember, with Button coming closer than ever to that elusive first win, hounding Renault's Jarno Trulli all the way to the chequered flag before having to accept second.

The historic circuit has not altered since his last competitive lap around the Principality and the 26-year-old expects no problems reacquainting himself with Formula One's only true street track.

"You don't forget Monaco," he added. "It's a circuit if you've done it once, it stays in your mind, definitely.

"Nothing's really changed, only the asphalt slightly since 2004. It's supposed to be a bit grippier.

"I am looking forward to it and can't wait to get out there. It's a circuit I have always enjoyed and it is something you do need to build up to.

"You can't go out and go flat-out straight away, you do build up to it. I am looking forward to it, I have missed this place."

Button prepared for the most glamorous race in the world in fitting fashion, rubbing shoulders with fellow sports stars, royalty and pop idols at David Beckham's pre-World Cup party.

"It was all right actually, it was for a good cause so it was good," he said. "I couldn't afford anything in the auction. I kept putting my hand up but I kept getting out-bid."