Honda wants to end tough season in a positive way
The Honda Racing F1 Team heads to South America this week for the climax to the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship. Round 17, the Brazilian Grand Prix, takes place at the Interlagos circuit in the city of Sao Paulo.
The home grand prix of Honda driver Rubens Barrichello will see the conclusion of one of the most exciting Formula One seasons in recent years and the Honda Racing F1 Team will be hoping to add to its points tally after an excellent drive by Jenson Button in Shanghai saw him claim 5th place and crucial points in the penultimate round.
Shuhei Nakamoto, Senior Technical Director “The Chinese Grand Prix was a challenging race due to the changeable weather conditions and our drivers lost ground in the early laps as they battled with understeer. We were therefore very pleased to pick up some valuable points due to a good strategy and a great drive from Jenson. Looking ahead to the final race of the season in Brazil, the main challenge at Interlagos is finding the best set-up on this bumpy circuit with its combination of low and high speed corners. I am very proud that the team has kept pushing this year and we will be doing our utmost to end the season on a high note”
Rubens Barrichello “I was born very close to Interlagos so the Brazilian Grand Prix means a great deal to me and it is always a very special weekend. However I really enjoy the circuit not just because it is my home race but also because Interlagos has some great corners and allows good overtaking. My favourite corner is the Curva do Laranjinha which is the most challenging corner of the lap. It’s also the corner which I used to cycle to as a child and watch the races from. We have had a tough year in 2007 but I am looking forward to the race in Brazil and we will be hoping to end the season in a positive way.”
Jenson Button “Interlagos is a particularly challenging circuit for the drivers as it is one of only two anti-clockwise tracks on the calendar this year. This takes a big toll, using muscles in the neck which aren't used to such an extent on other F1 circuits. The track is also notoriously bumpy and the key to getting a good lap is having total confidence in your car and understanding where all the bumps are and doing your best to minimise their impact. You can overtake at turn one, which I did in last year’s race, and also into Bico de Pato. The race is often wet and then without doubt the biggest challenge is the long left-hand turn three. I had a really good race at Interlagos last year and it would be great for everybody at Honda if we could round off this season on an upbeat note, however in a dry race it remains difficult for us to finish in the points.”
