March 10, 200817 yr Honda F1 2008 Press Conference - Tokyo, March 10 /monthly_03_2008/post-4484-0-1446086078-19545_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="3768352" alt="post-4484-0-1446086078-19545_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="150">
March 11, 200817 yr Car still lacks speed - ButtonJenson Button famously couldn't wait to get rid of last season's disasterous Honda car but winter testing didn't bring the kind of major improvement he was hoping for as the new Honda has still been languishing towards the back end of the time sheets."It's a very driveable car, which gives us a good basis to build on," Button said. "It still lacks a bit of speed, but we've made improvements at every test in many areas and I'm confident that this level of development can continue throughout the year."Honda held a private three-day test last week and claimed to have made significant progress.
March 11, 200817 yr BUTTON ENCOURAGED BY 'STEP FORWARD'A fitter-than-ever Jenson Button is ready for the rigours of another demanding Formula One season - even if his car is still not quite up to scratch.Honda, with new team principal Ross Brawn at the helm, have worked exhaustively in recent weeks to ensure Button and team-mate Rubens Barrichello have a competitive car this season.In 2007, the Japanese manufacturing giants were woefully off the pace, taking several steps backwards from how they finished 2006.Early winter tests suggested the new Honda would again struggle at the rear of the grid, although a private test in Jerez last week has offered some cause for optimism.However, both Button and Brawn fully appreciate progress will be slow going over the course of the year as they build towards the 2009 season, and a much stronger challenge then.For now, and starting with Sunday's curtain-raising Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, the best that can be hoped for is a midfield battle."Jerez was the first time I have got into the car expecting a good step forward and actually got a good step forward," said Button."So it was a very positive test, but there is still a long way to go before we are competitive at the front of the field."It is still a step forward, a step in the right direction, and heading into Melbourne I am excited to understand where we will fit in at the first race."What we have is a very driveable car, which gives us a good basis on which to build."It still lacks a bit of speed, but we've made improvements at every test in many areas, and I'm confident that this level of development can continue throughout the year."As for Button personally, he could not be better prepared for the new season, adding: "Like all drivers, I've been busy with testing the new car and there's no substitute for that kind of training."But I've also been working on my fitness away from the track and I'm fitter now than ever before."I've a new physio in Mike Collier, and we did three training camps together in Lanzarote."Ferrari's former technical guru Brawn, who has attempted to make Honda more closer knit since his arrival at the end of last year, feels it will be the smartest team on the day who will emerge the best of the rest behind his old marque and McLaren."We were in Jerez by ourselves and we were able to compare our old car and our new car's aero package, and between the two was a good step," assessed Brawn."We are certainly not going to compete at the front of the field, but the most important thing for me is it was a positive step."I think there was a substantial performance gain, which is very encouraging, and perhaps it could put us in the midfield."But in Melbourne we have to do a very good job. The middle of the grid is very tight and lots of people have similar lap times."Of BMW, Renault, Williams and perhaps Red Bull, the team that does a particularly good job on a weekend will find themselves at the front of that pack."The team that is not so smart will find themselves at the back of the pack."
March 12, 200817 yr Q & A with Jenson ButtonAfter a disappointing 2007, Honda's Jenson Button is a happier man heading into the 2008 Formula One season despite not being sure of scoring points. Autosport.com spoke with the Englishman to find out why he feels so positive.Jenson Button, 2008Q. It seems there is some light at the end of the tunnel now after some encouraging signs from Jerez last week. Do you share that view?Jenson Button: The great thing is that no one has a clue where we stand, and that is quite exciting. I don't think we are going to be challenging for points but I think we are going to be a lot closer. We are actually going to be racing in the mix, hopefully with the Toro Rossos in the slower part of that middle pack hopefully, fingers crossed.The test was a nice improvement and something that we sort of expected, and the great thing is that whatever it said in the wind tunnel it did the same on the circuit, so it means we are doing something right.Q. You have said this season is about progress rather than results. So you must be encouraged by what happened in Jerez?JB: Well, if it keeps going that we all think it is going to go with improvements and it stays on track, and every improvement is correct, then I will be very happy. So it doesn't really matter if this doesn't take us into the middle pack.It is more that we understand what is going on on the car and what is arriving on the car. Plus the feeling it gives us and the lap time it gives us. We understand it, which is great, and we haven't had that for a long time.Q. Is the mood at the team very different to how it was 12 months ago, even though the results on paper do not look very different so far?JB: Yeah. Even with the car in launch spec, it wasn't very quick but it was doing what it said on the tin really. We just had to put up with it. The car did feel nicer to drive than last year's car, a much easier car to drive for sure, and that means you can start working with it and improving it.And we did. We improved it a lot from the first test to now. You can see in testing that we were not quick at the end, but we had improved the car a lot from where we were. So, that is something we didn't do last winter. For us it has been a very good winter with the way of working.Q. Are you ready to knuckle down and work, even though you are not fighting at the front yet?JB: Yeah, I am really looking forward to this weekend. Some of it is because we don't know where we are, and no one else knows where we are. Everyone remembers us from Barcelona. I don't think they have got anything to worry about a lot of the teams, but I think we will be a little bit closer. And that makes it exciting, for sure.Q. How quick are you expecting progress to come on? Will it be race-by-race?JB: I don't think it will be race-by-race, because obviously we need time in the wind tunnel to make the parts work. So it is not going to be race-by-race, but hopefully we will have four or five reasonable steps throughout the season and if we can do that, then great.Q. Do you think the improvements will have an impact on next year as well?JB: For sure. I think already having understood the windtunnel and correlating it to the circuit, we have made a massive step forward. And that already helps us for next year's car, when we are all on a sort of level playing field.But next year is very important to me, and it is a year that we can be very competitive. And I am happy the team are working on next year, but we have still got a whole year in front of us and we still want to have a good season. And a good season might not mean getting wins or podiums, but that we are more competitive - and not just in qualifying, but in a race situation.We've designed a car that works better in a race situation. I don't mean consistency but in terms of racing with other cars. It is the first time I have had a car where I can feel we can run close with other cars. Some cars can overtake easier than others, and that is because of the way the aerodynamics work. And I think we are going in the right direction, and I am very happy with that.Q. Does the car feel a lot better than last year's?JB: Yes, to drive it is great. It is a lot more consistent. It feels like a proper racing car. You know what to expect. You don't arrive at a corner and guess what will happen - which is pretty much what last year was. You could be locking the fronts, and get a big snap of oversteer and it would change ends again.It was so unpredictable that you didn't know what to do with the balance. Now, it is more predictable. So the setup changes we make on a race weekend will be a lot more useful. You will see us make progress on a race weekend rather than just see us going around in circles.Q. Did the Jerez-spec Melbourne developments feel different as well?JB: Yeah. We left it in the windtunnel as long as possible to keep building on it. It felt like they told me it would feel like, which is always nice. And you have real belief in the team you are working with then, the aerodynamic team. If they can produce something and tell you what it is going to feel like, and it feels like that on the circuit, it is great.Q. What changes have you seen at Honda Racing since the arrival of Ross Brawn?JB: I feel that we have a lot more technical direction than we had before. And areas where I suppose I would not notice we are lacking in, he has pointed out. And we have really built on those areas.For me at the moment everything in the team is great and we are very strong. But I am sure Ross knows of a few areas where we need to improve, and he is doing a great job of trying to make it work.And the great thing with Ross is that everyone knows that he knows what he is talking about. He has been there many times before and he has fought for so many world championships.He is also a calming influence to everyone. He is not going in there shouting. He is very calm and just lets everyone know his thoughts. And I know it sounds very cheesy, but I think he brings the best out in the workforce and the people within the team.Six months ago, twelve months ago, I wasn't amazingly happy. I wanted to stand by Honda because I thought they could achieve a lot in the future. And I think they have really opened their eyes and realised that we needed someone like Ross in the team, and we needed to look elsewhere for aerodynamicists and what have you. And they have gone definitely in the right direction. So I couldn't be happier at the moment.I might be in a car that is not going to get points for a few races, but I couldn't be in a happier position for the future. 2004 was a good year, but realistically I am probably in a happier place at the moment going into my future years with Honda.Before all the stuff started towards the end of the season employing new people and realising how far we are from where we needed to be, I wasn't that excited about the future. But now things have turned around and I am really looking forward to it. I really am. I'm in a happy place.Q. You have said that will probably not challenge for points in the next few races. When are you expecting to do that?JB: I think we need to first of all see where we are this weekend. After this weekend we will know a lot more, because we will understand where we are compared to the other people. Obviously they will make a step forward and I am sure it will be when we get back to Europe there will be a bit of a shuffle around.But I really cannot say anything until after this weekend. We will evaluate it after this weekend and we will see.Q. Would you be upset if this event was dropped because of the night race issue?JB: I am sure there are reasons. I don't know the details of what Bernie (Ecclestone) has been saying, but I would be disappointed. Turning up here in Australia for the first grand prix of the season, doing an interview like this on the beach, is pretty 'phat' isn't it? It is such an amazing start to the season.It is like the first day back at school, and the most perfect setting. Albert Park is a great setting, and I think it is a good circuit to start on. I've always enjoyed it. I would miss it, and I am sure other people would miss it.Q. Would you be happy to start the race at 5pm?JB: Yeah, no problem at all. It would be nice if they could come up with a compromise because it is a great place. You can come here a few days in advance, and relax before it all gets crazy.
March 13, 200817 yr Button smiling again with Brawn on boardLike 12 months ago, he is still likely to pilot an uncompetitive Honda at Albert Park, but Jenson Button claims he will do so with a bigger smile on his face in 2008.The 28-year-old Briton told reporters on a Melbourne beach that the arrival of new team boss Ross Brawn has wiped away the despair of driving for a team that got itself into the mess of dealing with its abysmal 2007 car.Brawn arrives fresh from a sabbatical but renowned in the paddock as the technical architect of the ultra-successful Michael Schumacher period at Ferrari.And Button is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail: "Six or 12 months ago I wasn't amazingly happy."He praises Honda for realising that it needed to look outside the team for the solution to its receding performance."I couldn't be happier at the moment. I might be in a car that won't win points for a few races but I really couldn't be in a better position for the future," Button added."Before Ross came, I wasn't that excited that we could turn things round, but now I am."
March 14, 200817 yr Australian Grand Prix 1st Free Practice1 K. Raikkonen 1:26.461 252 L. Hamilton 1:26.948 213 F. Massa 1:26.958 254 H. Kovalainen 1:27.114 195 M. Webber 1:28.263 186 F. Alonso 1:28.360 227 R. Kubica 1:28.579 128 T. Glock 1:28.913 169 S. Vettel 1:28.957 2210 J. Trulli 1:29.014 2311 J. Button 1:29.124 2512 G. Fisichella 1:29.230 2413 D. Coulthard 1:29.301 514 S. Bourdais 1:29.363 3215 R. Barrichello 1:29.533 1716 N. Heidfeld 1:29.561 717 A. Sutil 1:30.155 1318 N. Piquet jr. 1:30.357 2119 T. Sato 1:31.048 720 A. Davidson 1:31.771 721 K. Nakajima 1:35.053 322 N. Rosberg no time 3
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