Honda drivers ready for hot start
After months of testing, Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button can't wait for the start of the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship in Bahrain this weekend. “It's really exciting for me to be racing for the very first time as a Honda Racing F1 Team driver,” enthuses Rubens Barrichello who, of course, makes his race debut for the Honda Racing F1 Team on Sunday.
“Since I have joined the team at the start of the year, it has been a very intense period of working hard on the test track and with the engineers. We have covered an incredible amount of laps and have been able to establish good reliability as well as improve the pace of the car. For me, our most important test was in Bahrain last month where we could work on the set-up of the car in the hot weather we will face this weekend and also complete a lot of laps, which really helped my physical conditioning. I feel very much at home with the team now and I can't wait for the first race of the new season, where I believe we will be very competitive.”
Jenson Button is equally upbeat about his chances. “Our pre-season testing programme has been extremely positive,” he confirms. “The RA106 was strong and reliable from the start which has enabled us to complete plenty of mileage and given me the confidence to push the development from an early stage. I tried to complete as much testing as possible over the winter, which is reflected by the amount of kilometres I have driven. I have also been training hard and feel mentally and physically stronger than ever before.
"The Bahrain International Circuit is a great track and I enjoy racing here. There are several overtaking opportunities, which always makes things exciting and the fast flowing sections are great. Testing in Bahrain in February was hugely beneficial for us and we are the only Michelin team to have tested the tyres and our car in the hot conditions prior to the race. I think that we have a really competitive package, and although this is the first time we will really see where we are compared to the other teams, I hope to be challenging for wins. I can't wait for the racing to begin this weekend.”
