06/08/2006
NEWS STORY
The Honda Racing F1 Team today achieved its first grand prix victory after Jenson Button took the chequered flag in P1 for the first time in his career and for the first win of Honda's third generation of Formula One competition.
There were emotional scenes in the team's garage after Jenson brought a superb drive in the Hungarian Grand Prix to the conclusion that he has been striving for since his F1 career began in 2000.
Jenson Button: "Wow! What a day! This is such an amazing moment for me and one that I have worked my whole motor racing career for. I always had faith that we would achieve our objective together and this victory is testimony to that belief. There are so many people to thank right now - everybody in the team, Honda Motor Company, our partners and, of course, all the fans. I would also like to pay a very special tribute to my family who helped me start out on the path to victory. To win such a tough and challenging race from 14th place on the grid is incredible for me and all the more important because I know I won on merit today. No one can dispute that today the Honda Racing F1 Team got everything right."
Takeo Fukui - President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd: "We are absolutely delighted with this victory today. We have been aiming for victory from the first race of this year, and to have finally reached our goal at the 13th race of the season makes us extremely happy. The drivers and all the members of the team have worked very hard and done a truly outstanding job. Today we share with all our fans the thrill of victory. Tomorrow we will once again be hard at work to achieve yet more Formula One World Championship wins. I would like to express my gratitude to all our fans for their continuing support. Thank you."
Rubens Barrichello: "I am truly happy for Jenson and the Honda Racing F1 Team today. It was a shame for me that we had the wrong tyres at the start or we could have both been on the podium. A huge effort from the team this weekend and we hope to carry that forward for future wins."
Nick Fry - Chief Executive Officer: "There are hardly words to describe this moment. It is an historic day for Honda and the most incredible occasion for the whole team, its associates and fans all over the world. Everyone has worked so hard for so long to savour the taste of victory. Jenson has remained positive, as has the whole team, and I am immensely proud of everyone today, especially as the CEO of Honda Motor Company, Takeo Fukui, was here in Hungary to receive the trophy on our behalf. Now that we have reached this important milestone, we know we have what it takes to go on and do it again and again."
Gil de Ferran - Sporting Director: "This will always be an unforgettable day for the whole Honda team! This fantastic result is the culmination of several years of hard work, dedication and relentless pursuit of perfection by the many members of our team, and on this day everything came right. For Jenson, winning a race was just a matter of time and on a day like today where conditions were incredibly difficult gave him the perfect setting to show the world a talent and class that all of us in the team knew he had all along. Jenson drove the perfect race from start to finish; he was fast and flawless throughout. Needless to say this race was very hard to manage from a strategic standpoint, right from the start when we struggled with what tyres to start the race on. With Rubens we decided to start on extreme wets and Jenson with wets which paid off early on for Rubens, but we had to pit him only after a few laps. The key part of the race came after Jenson caught up to the leader and we decided to split the last stint since we doubted the wets were going to be the right tyre for the conditions at the end but they certainly were when he came in for the second time on lap 46. In the end first and fourth is just reward for the whole team, not to mention Jenson and Rubens who have kept faith and focused through all the hard work. Turkey can't come soon enough!"
To check out our Hungary GP picture gallery, click here