Honda all set for Brazilian season finale
Next week the Honda Racing F1 Team arrives in Sao Paolo for round 18 of the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship. The team hopes to end the season on a high as it continues to close the gap to 3rd place in the Constructors’ Championship with an impressive run of form. Not only has Honda achieved a points finish in every race since the German Grand Prix but also Jenson Button has scored the most points of any driver since his first victory in Hungary in August.
“Clearly our second half of the season has been much-improved and we have been competitive in most of the races,” says Sporting Director Gil de Ferran. “Jenson has delivered a fantastic string of results of late and for Rubens this promises to be an emotionally-charged weekend in front of his home crowd at a circuit where he has always performed well. The latest specification of Honda engine showed good performance last time out in Japan, so there is no reason why we should not be able to continue our current form next weekend and end the season on a high note.”
“It’s great to be heading into the final race of the season with a run of solid points finishes under our belts,” says Jenson Button. “It really goes to show just how much progress we’ve made in the second half of the season. I know no one is thinking too much about 2007 yet but it’s always important to end the season on a high note as it’s a great motivator as the team prepares for next year’s campaign.
“I think we can expect the same level of performance in Brazil that we have enjoyed in the past few races. The engine was looking strong in Japan and I think the car will be well suited to the track. It’s a circuit I enjoy, and it can be tough because of its anti-clockwise layout and notoriously bumpy surface. It should be a great climax to the season.”
As well as being the home grand prix for team-mate Rubens Barrichello, the weekend will also be particularly poignant for the team as it marks the final race for former team owner and title sponsor British American Tobacco after nine years of involvement in Formula One.
“This will be the most important race of the year for Rubens because it’s his home grand prix, and it’s also the last race for British American Tobacco,” says Chief Executive Officer Nick Fry. “BAT showed such foresight in setting up this team eight years ago, since when there have been trials and tribulations, but we reached the point where the team won its first race and is now legitimately considered a top team in F1.”
