Button and Barrichello aim for strong finish of 2006 season

Honda Racing F1 Team race drivers Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button are in a determined mood as they enter the crucial final stretch of the 2006 championship. They arrive in Shanghai this weekend for the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix, the first of three races in four weeks.

“We had a good result in Shanghai in 2004,” says Jenson Button. “I finished in P2 behind Rubens and I think that the track will suit our car this year. Our final test of the season in Jerez went well this week and we hope to end the season on a high note with some good performances at the final three races.”

The Shanghai circuit is a very striking facility with a mixture of long straights and an interesting combination of low and medium speed corners. The main feature is the length of some corners which present a unique and difficult challenge, particularly turn one where the drivers start turning at full throttle at about 280 kph and continuously brake and turn for about six seconds until the slowest part of the corner.

With team performance improving as the championship has unfolded, team-mate Rubens Barrichello is keen to continue the trend and end the season on a high note: “With three races left of the season, my aim is to put the car into a podium position and I believe that we can deliver the performance to achieve this.”