31/07/2005
NEWS STORY
BAR Honda welcomed a strong two-car finish in today's Hungarian Grand Prix, securing solid Championship points for the fourth consecutive race. Jenson Button and Takuma Sato brought their BAR Honda 007 race cars home in 5th and 8th places respectively and the 5 points they collected puts the team within easy reach of sixth place in the Constructors' standings.
It was an eventful race at the Hungaroring, which once again basked in very uncomfortable temperatures of up to 36°C. Both Jenson and Takuma deftly picked their way through the first lap mêlée, escaping the debris from the Renault and Red Bull incidents. Although both drivers performed well throughout the race, it became clear that the team's tyre choice did not suit today's track conditions which prevented the team from challenging for a repeat of its German Grand Prix podium last weekend. Nonetheless, the team embarks on its summer break in buoyant spirits and will return refreshed and ready for the challenge of the six remaining races.
Jenson Button: "We had a reasonably good race and secured a two-car points finish, which is great for the team. The car was running quite well and considering the fact that our tyre choice did not work for us this race, I am pleased to have finished fifth today. We are moving up the Championship and getting closer to where we want to be, so we are looking forward to a break for everyone to recharge their batteries and then getting back to business in the first Turkish Grand Prix. Everyone at BAR Honda has worked flat-out for weeks to achieve the improvement we have seen over the past few races and I wish the team a well-deserved holiday."
Takuma Sato: "It was a tough race today, not least because of the temperature in the cockpit, so I am pleased with our result. I have finally achieved my first Championship point of the season after a lot of bad luck and I am happy to do so as the team begins a three-week break. I would like to thank everyone for all their hard work during the first part of the season. The first lap of today's race was quite dramatic and it was very important to me to avoid getting caught up in that. I was able to avoid any problems as well as improve my track position, overtaking Barrichello on the outside of turn two. I am looking forward to the summer break now, and to the team coming back even stronger in Turkey."
Gil de Ferran: "It is good to have both cars finishing in the points yet again and demonstrating a strong, reliable package. This is particularly true for Taku, who scored his first point of the season. However we believe that we made the wrong choice on tyres and, as a result, we were far slower than we predicted during the race and were unable to fight for the podium position we were hoping for."
Shuhei Nakamoto: "Both engines worked very well throughout the race today and the drivers got the best performance from the car. Our tyre choice did not suit today's track conditions and we were unable to fight for a podium, however we achieved a two-car points finish for the first time this season. After this race the team will be able to enjoy a well-deserved summer break after a long season so far. When we return, I am sure everyone will be refreshed and ready to fight again for more even more points."