09/04/2007
NEWS STORY
Christian Klien's start to the 2007 Formula One World Championship could not have been busier, the young Austrian driver facing a demanding schedule over a five week period. The Honda Racing F1 Team Test and Reserve driver was in Melbourne two and a half weeks ago to support Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello as they participated in the opening round of the championship, after which he went to visit Honda's impressive Research and Development facility in Tochigi, near Tokyo, and also Honda's corporate headquarters.
"Melbourne was my first race as Reserve driver so it was a new experience for me not to be racing," said Christian. "I attended all the technical meetings and stayed as closely involved as possible to what was going on inside the team. Of course it is a little frustrating not to be racing, but on the other side it is great to be inside a team like Honda and learning how they work.
"The weekend showed that Ferrari is on another level from the other teams, as we expected, while we were not as competitive as we wanted to be. However, I believe that with the work being done we will see good progress, particularly by the start of the European season, and that's what we have to work towards. The level of competition is very high in Formula One, and for me and the rest of the Honda team it is normal to work hard to try and win. This is the reason why this sport is so demanding but also so satisfying to work in."
The visit to Tochigi after the Melbourne weekend was Christian's first opportunity to meet some of the engineers based in Japan who are dedicated to the Formula One programme.
"This was an impressive experience. First, to meet the Honda engineers and to see how hard they are working. Second, to see the facilities and to understand the capability we have. When you consider that the team's headquarters in Brackley is working with the engineers in Tochigi, you can see the extent of Honda's commitment to succeeding in Formula One."
After visiting the Tochigi facility Christian went to Honda's corporate headquarters in Tokyo, meeting with executives including Mr Yasuhiro Wada, General Manager of the Honda Motorsports Division and Chairman of Honda GP Ltd. From Japan Christian then moved to Malaysia, participating in a day of promotional filming, then remaining with the team for the official test during the week. Christian shared testing duties with Jenson Button on the final day, testing in the afternoon and completing 24 laps during which he had to switch to wet weather tyres when it started to rain.
Even the Malaysian climate proved useful for the Austrian ace, however, Christian again carrying out physical training in the hot and humid conditions to ensure that his fitness levels remain as high as possible.
"It's been a busy time, but very enjoyable," admits Christian. "I had a few days holiday in Bali before going back to Malaysia for the Grand Prix this weekend and then on to Bahrain. It's great to be working with Honda and so closely involved in trying to help achieve their goals for this project, so this trip has been really another step for me in working with them. We have much work to do, but I am looking forward to helping tackle that challenge in the coming months."