Monday - July 7, 2008, 12:00 am
Rubens makes Q3
Mixed fortunes for the Honda Racing F1 Team drivers in Montreal qualifying.
The Honda Racing F1 Team experienced mixed fortunes during today’s qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. Rubens Barrichello took his best grid position of the year, whilst Jenson Button’s progress was disrupted from the outset by a gearbox problem.
Rubens made steady progress with the set-up of his car throughout the day, beginning in this morning’s final practice session in which he set the 14th fastest time. He then improved the balance of his RA108 during Q1 and Q2 and he will start tomorrow’s 70-lap Canadian Grand Prix from ninth on the grid.
Today’s warmer track temperatures (44 degrees) would no doubt have helped Jenson as well, but for the gear selection problem he suffered from the start of his first flying lap in Q1. He set a lap time of 1:23.565s before pitting and was confined to the garage for the remainder of the session. He will start the race from 19th position.
"I had a problem with third gear right at the start of Q1 which meant that I had no drive and that was the end of my qualifying today,” Jenson explained. “It's been a pretty tough weekend for us and it's very disappointing to be starting from the back of the grid. We will just have to see how the race develops and take advantage of any opportunities which might arise."
Rubens, meanwhile, started Q1 on the prime tyre and completed three flying laps in succession. He improved his pace with each lap, setting times of 1:19.790s, 1:19.231s and 1:18.256s. He went out again at the end of Q1, but ran wide at Turn 7 and had to settle for the 13th best time.
In Q2 he completed two more runs, with a best time of 1:18.020s. That placed him 10th and gave him a ticket into Q3 for the first time this year. For the final segment of qualifying his lap of 1:20.848s placed him ninth.
"I’m really pleased for myself and the team today,” said Rubens. “After the points that we scored in Monaco at the last race, this is a great start for the weekend here in Canada. In the hot conditions, the asphalt on the track was breaking up this afternoon and you had to take a good line to avoid running wide where it was so slippery. So it gave me the chance to use my experience to put some good laps in and I had two strong runs in Q1 and Q2 to make it through to the final session. It is nice to qualify in ninth place and we did a solid job today. I can look forward to a good race tomorrow from here."
The weather forecast for Sunday’s race is mixed and the drivers are expecting a lot of marbles off-line. It’s sure to be an exciting race, with Rubens leading the Honda Racing F1 Team’s charge and hoping to add to his points tally in Monaco two weeks ago.
“Rubens is starting from a very strong position,” commented Steve Clark, Head of Race & Test Engineering, “and we have to have a sensible strategy to capitalise on that. It is likely to be a more difficult day for Jenson. However starting at the back gives us the opportunity to take some risks with his strategy in order to put ourselves in a situation where we will be able to take advantage of a safety car scenario and other such opportunities.”
The Honda Racing F1 Team experienced mixed fortunes during today’s qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. Rubens Barrichello took his best grid position of the year, whilst Jenson Button’s progress was disrupted from the outset by a gearbox problem.
Rubens made steady progress with the set-up of his car throughout the day, beginning in this morning’s final practice session in which he set the 14th fastest time. He then improved the balance of his RA108 during Q1 and Q2 and he will start tomorrow’s 70-lap Canadian Grand Prix from ninth on the grid.
Today’s warmer track temperatures (44 degrees) would no doubt have helped Jenson as well, but for the gear selection problem he suffered from the start of his first flying lap in Q1. He set a lap time of 1:23.565s before pitting and was confined to the garage for the remainder of the session. He will start the race from 19th position.
"I had a problem with third gear right at the start of Q1 which meant that I had no drive and that was the end of my qualifying today,” Jenson explained. “It's been a pretty tough weekend for us and it's very disappointing to be starting from the back of the grid. We will just have to see how the race develops and take advantage of any opportunities which might arise."
Rubens, meanwhile, started Q1 on the prime tyre and completed three flying laps in succession. He improved his pace with each lap, setting times of 1:19.790s, 1:19.231s and 1:18.256s. He went out again at the end of Q1, but ran wide at Turn 7 and had to settle for the 13th best time.
In Q2 he completed two more runs, with a best time of 1:18.020s. That placed him 10th and gave him a ticket into Q3 for the first time this year. For the final segment of qualifying his lap of 1:20.848s placed him ninth.
"I’m really pleased for myself and the team today,” said Rubens. “After the points that we scored in Monaco at the last race, this is a great start for the weekend here in Canada. In the hot conditions, the asphalt on the track was breaking up this afternoon and you had to take a good line to avoid running wide where it was so slippery. So it gave me the chance to use my experience to put some good laps in and I had two strong runs in Q1 and Q2 to make it through to the final session. It is nice to qualify in ninth place and we did a solid job today. I can look forward to a good race tomorrow from here."
The weather forecast for Sunday’s race is mixed and the drivers are expecting a lot of marbles off-line. It’s sure to be an exciting race, with Rubens leading the Honda Racing F1 Team’s charge and hoping to add to his points tally in Monaco two weeks ago.
“Rubens is starting from a very strong position,” commented Steve Clark, Head of Race & Test Engineering, “and we have to have a sensible strategy to capitalise on that. It is likely to be a more difficult day for Jenson. However starting at the back gives us the opportunity to take some risks with his strategy in order to put ourselves in a situation where we will be able to take advantage of a safety car scenario and other such opportunities.”
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