Lucky Strike BAR Honda completed a comprehensive three-day, three-man, two-car test in Jerez this afternoon. This was a particularly important programme for the team, as it was the first opportunity to test following the back to back fly-away races in North America and prior to the back to back European races of the French and British Grands Prix.

The team was greeted with warm and sunny weather on arrival at the circuit in Jerez, however the temperatures soon soared during the course of the three days, with ambient temperatures reaching 36°C and a track temperature of 55°C on the final day.

Day one (Wednesday) commenced with Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson carrying out the driving duties in chassis 02 and 01 respectively. The drivers had a frustrating day, with both cars experiencing transmission problems. However, with the problem swiftly resolved, the team ran a more productive afternoon with Takuma completing his planned aerodynamics test and a total of 54 laps, whilst Anthony completed 32 laps.

Jenson joined Takuma for the second day (Thursday) when he assessed the set up options for chassis 01 and a ballast test and completed 40 laps for the day. Takuma ran a Michelin tyre programme for the forthcoming French Grand Prix and completed an impressive 79 laps before a gearbox problem forced a premature stop during the morning run. He set the fastest lap time of the day - a 1.17.415 - with none of the teams' being able to improve on their recorded times during the afternoon.

The final day of our test this week (Friday) saw Jenson and Anthony running through a further comprehensive Michelin programme for Magny Cours. The weather continued to be extremely hot and Jenson set the fastest time of the day - a 1:17.221. A problem during the morning necessitated a quick engine change before he continued with the long-run tyre programme in the afternoon and recorded a total of 105 laps. Anthony's final driving duties were to assess a further Michelin test, however due to the incredibly difficult track conditions, the team decided to concentrate on assessing an aerodynamic programme. Satisfied with the performance of the car and the package, Anthony completed a total of 91 laps and retained the fourth fastest time he set earlier in the day.

Jenson Button: "We ran two programmes during the test in Jerez - one for aerodynamics and one for tyres. We had a positive response from the tyre programme and have chosen our tyre option for Magny Cours. The temperature over the three days has been extremely hot, so sitting in a race car has been even hotter and very difficult for all the drivers on the longer runs. It was disappointing that our work was interrupted by a series of problems, however I did set the fastest time on the final day, which was encouraging, and I am looking forward to the race next weekend at Magny Cours."

Takuma Sato: ""It was a very important test for us after the back to back fly-away races. We tested Magny Cours and Silverstone tyre options and are very happy with the interesting results! The very hot weather conditions made it a difficult test, and unfortunately the car on both days experienced gearbox problems. However, on the morning of the second day we were able to run 79 laps and almost 80% of the planned tyre programme. We should be very confident in our tyre choice for the next GP and after Indy, I am very comfortable with the car and its subsequent performance during the test in Jerez."

Anthony Davidson: "Despite the incredibly hot weather, we had a very positive test for a new aerodynamic package. We have definitely taken a step forward, which is very encouraging, and all in all we got some important work done. The team has worked extremely hard in difficult heat conditions and we come away having completed a really conclusive test - so I am very happy and looking forward to running again in Magny Cours next week."

Andrew Alsworth, Test Team Manager: "We have had a very busy test in extremely hot track conditions. We have managed to complete the main test items in our programme and, although we encountered some minor reliability issues during the three days, the car has remained consistently fast. We are hoping to carry this pace over to the French Grand Prix in a week's time."

Shuhei Nakamoto, Engineering Director, Honda Racing Development: "We got some more useful data from this week's test for our season-long development programme. We are looking at the reasons for the engine problem on the last day and will use the data as a reference point as we continue to push forward."