Honda’s 72nd F1 win honoured in Turkey

Still buoyed by victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Honda Racing F1 Team returns from the summer break looking forward to Round 14 of the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship, the Turkish Grand Prix.

Following both the team’s and Jenson Button’s first Formula One victory at the Hungaroring, the two RA106 race cars will carry a specially designed ‘72’ logo this weekend to commemorate what was, in fact, Honda’s 72nd Grand Prix victory, and its first as a works team since the 1967 Italian Grand Prix when John Surtees took the chequered flag in the RA300.

The summer test break means that no testing has been possible since the last two back-to-back races and the team has taken this opportunity to both celebrate its victory and re-group for the remaining five races of the 2006 season.

“We return to Turkey recharged by our first win and our well-deserved summer break,” reports Gil de Ferran, Sporting Director. “Since Hungary, the team’s focus has been firmly on the Turkish Grand Prix and the remaining races of the season. Last year, the Istanbul Park Circuit was the scene of one of our better races and this year, once again, we’re hoping to be in the thick of the fight. The circuit layout provides many challenges with a unique combination of a very high-speed turn, long straights and tight hairpins, not to mention the changes in elevation. All in all, this racing circuit is a 'classic'.”

Rubens Barrichello is equally positive about the new anti-clockwise Istanbul venue, which made its debut on the F1 calendar last year and received almost universal praise from teams, drivers and spectators. “The circuit is fantastic and I was really impressed by the facilities and the layout,” he confirms. “The undulations of the track make it very exciting and challenging from a driver’s viewpoint and there are some good overtaking opportunities. It is also quite tough physically and we’re expecting the race to be run in hot temperatures so it was important to keep training between the races, although the break has been good to recharge and get ready for this weekend. We showed a real improvement in Germany and Hungary so although we have done no testing prior to this race, we will be hoping to carry this performance forward to Turkey.”