NUERBURGRING, Germany, July 19 (Reuters) - Honda will continue in 2008 with Briton Jenson Button and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, the Formula One team said on Thursday.

The announcement maintains the pairing for a third consecutive year and means Barrichello can look forward to breaking Italian Riccardo Patrese's record of 256 Formula One race starts.

The Brazilian, who joined Honda from Ferrari in 2006, will be starting his 243rd race in Sunday's European Grand Prix. Button joined the team in 2003, when they were BAR, from Renault.

Honda have struggled this season, after Button took his first win in Hungary last August, with just one point from nine races so far.

Button's place at the team was never in any doubt, with the Briton on a long-term contract, but 35-year-old Barrichello's had been less certain.

The Brazilian is the second oldest driver, after Briton David Coulthard, on an increasingly youthful starting grid. He is also the one who has been around longest, making his debut with Jordan in 1993.

EXCEPTIONAL JOB

"For us, continuity is the most important thing at the moment," team boss Nick Fry told a news conference at the Nuerburgring.

"Both drivers this year have done an exceptional job under somewhat difficult circumstances.

"I would say that if there are young drivers out there looking at how to act in difficult circumstances, then both Jenson and Rubens have been an absolute case study in how to work," he added.

"They have done more with the equipment than we thought possible."

Until Button finished eighth in this month's French Grand Prix, Honda had drawn a blank. Embarrassingly, they remain three points adrift of Super Aguri, who compete with Honda engines on a fraction of the works team's budget.

Button said it was inevitable that he and Barrichello would want to stay.

"I saw no reason for either of us to be doing something different," he said. "Rubens and myself have done a good job this year and it's a great partnership.

"I'm positive for the future and looking forward to 2008."

Barrichello was pleased he would be able to beat Patrese's record, set when he retired from Benetton in 1993.

"It's a lot of races," he said. "But the most important thing is that my motivation is higher than it has ever been.

"This year we haven't been in the points and the car isn't doing what we want but I'm just working harder than I ever did and having a lot of fun," said the Brazilian.