- 04 Nov 08, 15:27#78785
From Autosport.com:
Honda target BMW's level in 2009
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71997
"Button hurt by lack of development" (from autosport again):
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71999
Encouraging comments there, it would be great if Honda can get back to the position they were in during late 2006. Brawn also confirmed my reckoning on Button's issues in the latter part of this season.
Honda target BMW's level in 2009
Honda team principal Ross Brawn says the Japanese squad are aiming to equal the level of competitiveness of BMW Sauber next season.
The Brackley-based team endured a torrid 2008 as they focused most of their efforts in the 2009 season, where radical regulations are likely to alter the pecking order.
Honda scored 14 points in 2008, finishing in ninth place in the standings.
Brawn admits the team's competitiveness will depend on how their rivals cope with the new regulations, but the Briton says BMW's level will be their target.
The German team finished in third place in this year's championship, scoring one win at the Canadian Grand Prix.
"The potential for a team in our position to move up depends on the job we do and the job everyone else does," said Brawn. "I recall years at Ferrari where we had fairly modest cars but everyone else was doing a terrible job, and I can remember years where we had fantastic cars and so did everyone else so it was a real challenge.
"It is difficult to predict, so with new regulations it is all going to go every which way and then it will start to come back together again. The grid in Q1 was one second from the main group, one second between all the cars, and that is with this engine disparity.
"You can fairly well line up the cars on the grid with the engine performance give or take a bit, so the potential for us in within our means.
"We have the resources we need, we have got lots of clever people so I think it would be overoptimistic to think we can challenge for the championship next year but we have certainly got to be looking a lot, lot better than we are today.
"For me the reference point is BMW and the job they have done, it is pretty impressive. They have still to continue their climb but I think if we as a team achieve the competitiveness BMW manage to we will be quite pleased."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71997
"Button hurt by lack of development" (from autosport again):
Jenson Button's form compared to teammate Rubens Barrichello has been hurt by the lack of development from Honda, according to team boss Ross Brawn.
The British driver was outqualified by the Brazilian in five of the last six races of the season, and Barrichello scored 11 of the team's 14 points in 2008.
Honda had a difficult season as they decided to shift their focus to 2009 very early, with very little development work done on this year's car.
Brawn reckons the lack of improvements hurt Button and may have helped Barrichello being the stronger driver.
But the team boss reckons both men are closely matched.
"I think they are both quite close in performance and they gone up and down over the whole year," said Brawn. "So I don't know what to put it down to. Jenson has not been finding the balance with the car that he is happy with, for sure, and I think Rubens has been able to hit the sweet spot with the car a bit more.
"And if I am frank we haven't been doing anything with the car so perhaps the car has moved a little bit away from one driver and towards another, as it has evolved we have not done very much to correct that, but there is nothing specific I can put it down to."
"I am not surprised because I know Rubens is a very fast driver, possibly the lack of evolution of the car has meant a car has been more towards one drivers' style is not something that we would have changed during the year, in normal circumstances you would be listening to drivers' comments trying to listen to where they are losing and improve things.
"Because the braking system on this car will be the system we have next year it was a valid area to improve and we have improved the braking stability on the car, and that was an area Rubens was particularly sensitive to but not Jenson because of the way they brake and enter a corner.
"So you can see some areas where we have developed the car that have been more beneficial to Rubens but the fact we have not had an intensive development programme may have hurt Jenson because the things he needed from the car we haven't done much about.
"They are both pretty good drivers, and when they have both got the car working for them they are pretty close I have no doubt."
Button will remain at the team next season, while Barrichello's future is still in doubt, with Honda set to evaluate Bruno Senna this month.
Brawn said there is not schedule for a decision on their drivers.
"There isn't one, to be honest. We just need to know before the first race. There is no fixed timetable and we will make a decision when we have all the right pieces of information."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71999
Encouraging comments there, it would be great if Honda can get back to the position they were in during late 2006. Brawn also confirmed my reckoning on Button's issues in the latter part of this season.
Rising number one of Formula 1, Juan - Juan, one wonders should Juan only win one Formula 1 one year, would Juan have won that one in round one, Juan??
