Report – Saturday – Honda back to the… middle of the grid

The Japanese team Honda Racing tried to make the best of the situation they were in. The result is not optimal and not as good as in Australia, but much better than during pre-season testing.

Barrichello, despite a problem in the morning, is 14th with the hope of scoring points and improving as the Grand Prix progresses, while Jenson Button achieves the 11th position in the qualifying, just outside of Q3.

The team will rely on the help of the rain to find the path to scoring and confirm the overall increase in its level of performance.

Jenson Button – 8th and 11th:

« I am very satisfied to have obtained this 11th position. We missed Q3 by only 1/10th but we are on the right side of the track for the start tomorrow.

« The main difficulty was choosing between the two possible types of tires. I struggled to use the medium tires, even though they are supposed to perform well, so I ended up using the others. I think I’m in a good position for tomorrow and I am optimistic for the race. »

Rubens Barrichello – 22nd and 14th:

« It’s a shame not to have been able to run this morning during free practice 3 because of this gearbox problem. I didn’t get many test laps and qualifying under these conditions was cutting it close every time. In the end, I achieved 14th position, which is really good considering the starting conditions. In my opinion, we made the best out of the situation. »

« With the very uncertain weather tomorrow, starting in this position is almost an advantage to be able to score points. »

Steve Clark – Race and Test Team Leader

Rubens [Barrichello] experienced a gearbox problem, particularly with his sixth gear. We managed to repair it in extremis in accordance with the FIA. He could have continued testing this morning, but to avoid any collateral damage, we preferred to stop after 6 laps. A gearbox change would have penalized him by 5 places!

« Under these conditions, Barrichello relied on Jenson Button’s data to find the most suitable settings. Hence his complicated qualifications, but aside from that, we made good progress, even though we could have made better use of the tires at our disposal. The medium tires seem to suit us best, but we have not yet found their full potential. »

« Depending on the weather conditions tomorrow, we may score more or fewer points. Rain might help us achieve this goal, whereas in dry conditions, getting into the top 8 will be more challenging… »