HONDA RACING F1 - 2007 BAHRAIN GP PREVIEW
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SHUHEI NAKAMOTO - Senior Technical Director
"In Malaysia both Rubens and Jenson were able to finish in a good position considering their starting positions. Although our car is not competitive at the moment, we were able to extract the maximum performance possible. As we are unable to test before Bahrain we should expect another tough race but back in the factory we are working relentlessly on developments which should enable us to make steady improvements once we begin the European season."
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"With no time to develop the car for the next race, our focus will be on doing the best job possible with what we have right now. Despite the problems we have with the car, we can still do better, particularly in terms of our qualifying performance. If we can work on that it is possible to get both cars in the top ten and closer to the points so there is progress to be made whilst we're working on the bigger developments back at the factory."
JENSON BUTTON ON THE BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
"Racing in Bahrain is always a great experience and it's a circuit that I really enjoy driving. There are some good fast flowing sections where you can really push the car through the two chicanes at turns four and five and later through the quick left and right at turns nine and ten. There are also several overtaking opportunities, particularly at turn one after the long straight, where you can make up crucial ground as people tend to brake surprisingly early.
"Confidence under braking is the key to a quick lap around Bahrain. You need to believe in the car's performance and have no doubts that you can stop effectively. The most challenging sector is probably turn fourteen which has a very quick approach where you brake as you turn into the corner, so you have to be careful not to lock the inside front wheel. The sand blowing onto the tarmac can be a challenge as you never know how the grip levels will change from lap to lap.
"As a country I really like Bahrain because it's quiet, chilled and you can get away from everything in a wonderful climate. I'm having a house built out there at the moment which should be ready in time for next year's race."
BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT Race Distance 57 laps Circuit Length 3.381 miles (5.417 kms)Located in Sakhir in the south of Bahrain, the Bahrain International Circuit opened in 2004 and hosted its first Formula One Grand Prix in April of the same year. The development of the circuit was funded by the Bahrain Government and firmly supported by the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, a lifelong motorsport enthusiast.
The circuit and its facilities are extremely impressive with the track actually consisting of five separate circuits, including a 2.5km oval and a 1.2km drag strip. The 5.417km clockwise Formula One circuit features a 1km pit straight, 12 turns including several low-speed corners which increases the technical emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency and traction, and a relief that ranges between 0 and 18 metres to create an undulating track.
The hot weather usually experienced over the Grand Prix weekend poses a challenge for both car and driver, and although the humidity is generally lower than in the Far East, track temperatures will be high.
HONDA IN BAHRAIN
Japanese manufacturers occupy around 75% of the automobile market share
Honda is the third best-selling Japanese marque in this group
Amongst the Honda models sold in Bahrain are the Civic, Accord, CR-V and City
The new CR-V which was launched last November and the Civic are particularly popular
Honda has a market share of over 40% in the motorcycle market 2006 saw an increase in sales of 270% from the previous year, particularly in courier and messenger bikes
Honda is dominant in power products, particularly with water pumps which increased by 111% on the previous year