HONDA F1

Testing report – day three

Location: Paul Ricard, France
Date: 16 May
Drivers: Jenson Button

The Honda Racing F1 Team today completed this week’s three-day test at the Paul Ricard circuit.

For the final day of the test, the track configuration was changed to a 5.255km Montreal style layout to facilitate preparations for the Canadian Grand Prix which takes place on 8 June.

With the RA108 in a low downforce set-up, Jenson began an aerodynamic evaluation in the morning session.

Unfortunately the predicted heavy rain showers hit the circuit around lunchtime and continued throughout the afternoon, curtailing any further serious running and limiting to Jenson to only 16 laps today.

TODAY’S LAP TIMES
NB: All timings are unofficial

1. J. Trulli (Toyota) 01:31.360
2. N. Piquet (Renault) 01:31.634
3. P. De La Rosa (McLaren) 01:32.143
4. S. Vettel (Toro Rosso) 01:32.480
5. F. Massa (Ferrari) 01:32.246
6. N. Heidfeld (BMW) 01:33.371
7. S. Buemi (Red Bull) 01:34.064
8. G. Fisichella (Force India) 01:34.071
9. J. Button (Honda) 01:36.501
10. A. Sutil (Force India) 01:43.877
11. N. Hulkenberg (Williams) 01:44.741

Monaco preparations at Ricard will put Honda in good stead, expects Brawn.

Round six of the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship takes the Honda Racing F1 Team to Monaco for the most prestigious motor race in the world. The annual dash through the Principality’s tortuous streets is a unique test of man and machine performed in front of the glamorous backdrop of the Monaco harbour.

The 3.340km (2.075mile) street track requires the cars to run with maximum aerodynamic downforce and the proximity of the barriers makes the 78-lap race one of the most mentally demanding for the drivers, despite the average lap speed of 160kph (100mph) being the one of the slowest of the year. This week’s Monaco preparations at the versatile Paul Ricard test venue will be invaluable this weekend, as Team Principal Ross Brawn points out:

“The first two days of the test programme took place on the short configuration of the Paul Ricard facility which resembles the high downforce and low speed characteristics of the Monaco street circuit. We used the test to evaluate our aerodynamic package for the Monaco weekend with some refinements to the developments that debuted at the Spanish Grand Prix.

“Driveability is very important around Monaco, with so many low speed corners where the driver has to have confidence in the set-up of the car to avoid losing time on exit, so we did a lot of work on this. We also ran the new Bridgestone super soft tyre compound and the indications from the test are that this tyre will perform well as the option tyre during the race weekend.”

Such is the Monaco Grand Prix’s profile and history that it retains many of the traditions from the inaugural race staged in 1929. The most idiosyncratic of these customs is the expansion of the race weekend to four days, with the on-track action starting a day earlier than usual, on Thursday.

Nick Fry has urged F1 to focus its attention of enticing car manufacturers to the sport, saying costs mean privateers struggle to survive.

The downfall and demise of Super Aguri prior to the Turkish GP weekend means that just ten teams remaining in this year's Championship, four of which are privateers: Williams, Force India, Red Bull and Toro Rosso.

However, the latter's position on the grid is in jeopardy after Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz announced that he was selling his share in the team.

Rule changes in 2010 mean that Red Bull, Toro Rosso's sister team, will no longer be able to provide Toro Rosso with custom cars and so Matechitz reckons there is no need to run two teams.

Should the sale not go ahead it could mean the F1 grid would drop to just nine teams, however, Fry believes the sport should focus on getting manufacturers to replace the out-going privateers and not bring in more independent outfits.

"The first question to answer is, 'Is F1 any place for a not-very-well funded privateer team?'" he told Autosport magazine.

"In this sport, there is a history of teams working at the margins that invariably fall off the bottom, and I think it will ever be so.

"The real mission for F1 is to attract a Volkswagen, an Audi or another big consumer business into the sport and not attempt to bring in more privateers, who may end up in the same position as teams like Arrows and Prost.

"Privateer teams enter on the basis that they can afford the first season - but invariably can't generate the revenue to continue into their second or third years.

"If you can't afford to compete, you shouldn't be here."

Jenson Button joined the Honda Racing F1 Team at the Paul Ricard circuit today for the second day of the test.

Taking over the wheel of the RA108, Jenson continued the aerodynamic evaluation which Alex Wurz began yesterday using the short configuration of the adaptable Paul Ricard facility, as preparations continued for the Monaco Grand Prix.

A lunchtime rain shower delayed the start of the afternoon session for a short time. Once the track had fully dried out, Jenson completed a comprehensive tyre evaluation running both types of the Bridgestone soft tyres which will be used around the street circuit in Monaco next weekend.

Jenson’s final lap tally was 155 laps as the team completed their preparation for the race. He will continue his running on the final day of the test tomorrow, when the track configuration will be changed to a low downforce Montreal style layout to allow the team to prepare for the Canadian Grand Prix.

1.		K. Räikkönen	Ferrari	F2008	1:05.381		62
2.		H. Kovalainen	McLaren	MP4-23	1:05.471	+0.090 +0,090	89
3.		R. Kubica	BMW Sauber BMW Sauber	F1.08	1:05.906	+0.525 +0,525	136
4.		D. Coulthard	Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing	RB4	1:06.001	+0.620 +0,620	82
5.		J. Button	Honda	RA108	1:06.091	+0.710 +0,710	156
6.		S. Bourdais	Toro Rosso Toro Rosso	STR3	1:06.125	+0.744 +0,744	110
7.		J. Trulli	Toyota	TF108	1:06.205	+0.824 +0,824	120
8.		N. Piquet Jr. Piquet Jr.	Renault	R28	1:06.355	+0.974 +0,974	193
9.		K. Nakajima	Williams	FW30	1:07.080	+1.699 +1,699	129
10.		A. Sutil	Force India Force India	VJM-01	1:07.104	+1.723 +1,723	66
11.		G. Fisichella	Force India Force India	VJM-01	1:07.123	+1.742 +1,742	64

1.		L. Hamilton	McLaren	B	1'05''600		84
2.		K. Räikkönen	Ferrari	B	1'06''089	0'00''489	103
3.		R. Kubica	BMW Sauber	B	1'06''177	0'00''577	124
4.		M. Webber	Red Bull Racing	B	1'06''348	0'00''748	93
5.		S. Vettel	Toro Rosso	B	1'06''372	0'00''772	91
6.		N. Rosberg	Williams	B	1'06''571	0'00''971	154
7.		A. Wurz	Honda	B	1'06''681	0'01''081	131
8.		T. Glock	Toyota	B	1'06''935	0'01''335	93
9.		V. Liuzzi	Force India F1	B	1'07''346	0'01''746	106
10.		L. di Grassi	Renault	B	1'07''430	0'01''830	146

Continuing the high downforce theme Honda have developed endplates for the "dumbo wings" and also added small winglets to the inside edges of the front wing.The latter addition is a small gain, compared to adding a bridge wing which has been the standard approach this year, something Honda have yet to develop.

Formula One is aiming to establish a 110 million Euro budget cap by the 2011 season, this week's Autosport magazine reveals.

A budget cap is set to be introduced in the sport from the start of 2009, and FIA consultant Tony Purnell has written to all Formula One teams with the figures the governing body would like to be set as a starting point for future discussions.

The figures proposed are 175 million Euro for 2009, 140 million by 2010, and 110 million a year later.

The cap would not cover expenditure on engines, KERS systems, marketing costs or driver and team principal salaries.

The figures, however, have received mixed reactions from some team bosses.

"Next year's figures are workable, but Honda is a little concerned about the glide-path, which needs more discussion," Honda Racing CEO Nick Fry told Autosport.

"By pushing the number too low, we may not only attract marginal operations but also alienate those at the top who want to develop high technology."

Today, the three test week at the Paul Ricard circuit began. The teams are preparing in France for the next two races in Monaco and Canada.

The nostrils of Honda have not yet been followed by other teams, but the Japanese team develops the 'elephant-wings' quiet. The RA108 is today already equipped with two new variants. Honda experimented with holes in the vertical part of the nostrils and appeared later in the lane with a vertical version with rainclouds to the end.

The Grand Prix of Monaco is upon us and the teams have everything from the closet to fetch as much as possible downforce at the close stratencircuit to generate. By Honda is not that different. The Japanese team wants in the principality revancheren for a disappointing race in Turkey. Honda intends to Monaco with a few new elements to be visible.

That unveiled teambaas Ross Brawn. "We have a test this week at the Paul Ricard circuit in order to prepare for the races in Monaco and Montreal. Then we get another test in Barcelona to our next aerodynamic update to confirm. We have some visually interesting new components for Monaco, where we met the most downforce so far will ride. According to our calculations we have only in Singapore later this year more downward pressure. Montreal is precisely the opposite, with many long straights and high top speed, "said the Englishman.

Rubens Barrichello has been since last Sunday as the record number of Grand Prix starts, and he himself has the ambition for many years to continue. The Brazilian drove all 257 Formula 1 races and has set itself the target of at least 300 Grands Prix behind his name.

The question is whether he had the opportunity to time. His contract with Honda expires and negotiations to extend that have not yet begun. Honda Racing-director Nick Fry said: "Contract have not our priority at the moment. We have been working two and a half years together and we have the commitment of Rubens already been extended. ” It can easily be renewed again. "

Fry stressed that Barrichello friends no need to expect. The Brazilian must simply show that he still has enough speed. Fry: "At this moment, Rubens quickly enough to be part of our line-up. And if next year he still fast enough, then he can remain with us. .” As simple as that. "

The Turkish Grand Prix ended in frustration for the Honda Racing F1 Team. Despite everyone’s best efforts to move Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello up the order, they came home pretty much where they’d started, in 11th and 14th places respectively.

In his record-breaking 257th GP start, Rubens got too much clutch slip away from the line, which allowed Jenson – who started one place further back in 13th – to pass him into Turn 1. However, no sooner had the race started than the Safety Car was deployed after a collision at the back of the field between Giancarlo Fisichella and Kazuki Nakajima.

The race re-started two laps later, with Jenson and Rubens running in 11th and 12th places after they’d both gained another position when Heikki Kovalainen pitted following a puncture. The Hondas then ran in formation until Rubens made his only pitstop of the race on lap 27, from which he rejoined in 14th position.

On the prime tyre Jenson climbed up to eighth place during this first pitstop window before making his only pitstop of the race on lap 31. He rejoined the race in 11th position, behind Jarno Trulli and ahead of Nelson Piquet, and it was at this stage of the race that the tide turned against him. He struggled for grip on the softer, option tyre – as he had during qualifying yesterday – and in the space of 500 metres he lost two positions at the end of lap 35 and the beginning of lap 36, first to Piquet and then to Kovalainen.

As more rubber went down on the asphalt, the handling of Jenson’s RA108 improved and he started to set competitive lap times. He set his fastest time of the race on the final lap, which was enough to hold off a late-race challenge from Kovalainen and secure 11th position.

"Although I managed to improve slightly on my start position, it was a disappointing race for us,” reflected Jenson. “The start was clean and I had a pretty good first lap, however our pace wasn't as good as we expected it to be during the race. I had a problem on my first stint with the front tyres, caused by the brakes overheating, which cost me a bit of time. We then changed our strategy to a one-stop which worked pretty well. Unfortunately the difference in fuel loads really tells here so it was difficult to hold back the quicker cars behind me who were two-stopping. We need to make some further improvements to the car before we are able to challenge for the points again."

Rubens had a lonely end to his race, coming home in 14th. "It was a frustrating race for us today,” he confirmed. “Unfortunately we did not have the pace to compete and overall I'm disappointed with the performance of the car. I suffered from understeer and traffic in my first stint so we stopped a little bit early to try and get me out into some space. From then on, it was an uneventful run to the end of the race. We have a lot of work to do over the next couple of tests to try to find some pace."

The Honda Racing F1 Team now heads to Paul Ricard for an intensive test session ahead of the next race on the calendar, the Monaco Grand Prix on 25 May. “We should have some visually interesting new parts for Monaco the highest downforce circuit so far,” says Team Principal Ross Brawn. “However, we do not expect Monaco to be the highest downforce track of the year - our calculations show that Singapore will require even more. Montreal is at the opposite end of the spectrum with the demand placed on very high straight line speed."

Honda Racing is the first team that has driven with a version of KERS (Kinetic Engine Recovery System), a system for energy back to win. Most teams are still in development, now known that the system next year will be permitted in Formula 1. Brawn: "We have for the first time drove in a car. Not on a very high level, but we are up and running." Brawn would not go into the question of when that has been, but described it as "fairly recent."

Ross Brawn believes that KERS good for the sport and for the car manufacturers in Formula 1. "I understand that many people do not understand because of the contradiction of saving money and on the other side much money to spend on new systems. But to automobile manufacturers as Honda, the technique has become irrelevant, so it's a good investment. It is at this moment However, very difficult to find a good balance for the system. The development of the system is still in its early stages. "

Rubens Barrichello says that the Honda team is not as timely in Turkey as it had hoped to be. In the run-up to the weekend Ross Brawn said that the circuit would be the Honda, after the first three points for Jenson Button in Barcelona. Both drivers knew not to reach the top ten and Barrichello gives them the blame for a bad balance sheet.

Barrichello: "Everyone has gone deployed today, but we were not as strong as we had hoped. I had problems with the balance of the car so this is the best we could achieve today. I could not get it to display on a whole round. The first two sectors were good, but in the third I was just too slow. We have a need to step forward on a regular basis in Q3 to come. "

Jenson Button had problems with his tyres and realizes that since the thirteenth place, it would be difficult to score points. "I did my run in Q2 on the soft tyre, which proved to work well for everyone. When I am not, so I had to return to the hard band, which has a round about three-tenths slower. In that light is the thirteenth still not entirely bad. But scoring points will be difficult from that position. But I've always fun in racing and overtaking, so we shall see what it gets. "