2006 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX
INDIANAPOLIS - RACE
Rubens Barrichello ended an action-packed United States
Grand Prix in 6th position today, securing much-welcomed championship
points for the Honda Racing F1 Team. His team-mate Jenson
Button was caught up in the first lap drama which took out
no fewer than 8 cars in a race which ultimately saw the field
decimated by more than half. Just 9 drivers out of 22 took
the chequered flag after 73 laps of the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway.
Jenson was hit by Juan Pablo Montoya on the left rear wheel,
which in turn launched him into Nick Heidfeld. He returned
to the pits where the team worked furiously to try to repair
the damage but despite their best efforts, Jenson was forced
to retire.
Despite their disappointment that only one car finished the
race, the Honda Racing F1 Team were encouraged by an otherwise
positive weekend. Rubens and Jenson now head to Jerez where
they will take part in a three-day test to prepare for the
French Grand Prix in two weeks' time.
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"It was a long and tough race this afternoon but I'm
pleased to finish in a good points position. The car was really
quite nice to drive and we had chosen an aggressive strategy
in qualifying. The conditions out there were also really hard
with the 37 degree heat. It was a real shame that only 9 cars
finished because I wanted the US fans to have a great race
this year. There was a lot of action for them but the first
lap incident was unfortunate. We have had a much more positive
weekend here and I think if we work hard we can continue improving.
We now have a busy test coming up in Jerez next week to evaluate
some developments for France, where I hope we will begin a
much better second half of the season."
JENSON BUTTON
"It's really disappointing because we were fuelled to
go long and I think the strategy would have worked well for
us. We had a great opportunity today. I was approaching turn
two and we were already three abreast when Montoya decided
to get past all three of us at the same time. He had a lot
of room to go up the inside so I don't really know why he
hit my back wheel, but that pushed me into Heidfeld who hit
my right rear which launched his car into the air. I saw him
roll and it was all just a big mess really. We came in and
the guys worked on the car but it became clear that it would
not have been able to finish the race. The impact was so hard
I'm surprised I was able to drive away from it, never mind
get back to the pits, so it just goes to show what a strong
car we have. Very frustrating but I guess we have to put it
behind us and look ahead to the test next week, which should
bring us some positive steps for Magny-Cours."
GIL DE FERRAN
Sporting Director
"We have mixed feelings about today. Rubens drove a hard
race pushing all the way to collect our first points since
Monaco. Jenson unfortunately got caught out in the first lap
incident and as a result of the damage incurred, we had to
retire the car. Overall this was a much more competitive race
for us than of late, although we continue to set our sights
higher. We are testing in Jerez next week to evaluate improvements
for the next round where hopefully we can continue our progression."
RACE STATS
Drivers Car No. Chassis Race Result
Rubens Barrichello 11 RA106-01 P6 Fastest lap 01:13.611
Jenson Button 12 RA106-05 DNF (lap 3)
Weather Hot and sunny
Temperatures Air: 35-37°C Track: 38-57°C
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