Honda reaffirm commitment to BAR

BAR chief Nick Fry has reassured his staff that team owners Honda are committed to supporting them despite links to a potential rival outfit. Japan's Super Aguri team has applied to join the 2006 championship and Honda has pledged help if they succeed.

Nick Fry "Honda's number one priority is to achieve race wins and success with our team. We won't allow any significant diversion of energy into a second team or any project other than winning."

BAR, who are now owned by Honda, finished runners-up to Ferrari in 2004 but struggled this year and ended up sixth in the constructors' championship. They have yet to win a race in F1.
Jenson Button and former Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello will drive for the team next season and Fry said the team's expectation for the coming season was "to win races - plural" with their new V8 car.

But Fry warned that that success would not come overnight.
"It requires the hiring of a lot of people, detailed logistics and the purchase of a large amount of equipment - some of which has long lead times. What we are doing with the new team at the moment is working through exactly what needs to be done between now and the beginning of next season."