2008 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
SAKHIR - FREE PRACTICE
The Honda Racing F1 Team began its on-track preparations
for the Bahrain Grand Prix today. Jenson Button and Rubens
Barrichello completed a total of 96 laps during the course
of the two practice sessions, ending the day in 11th and 16th
places respectively and separated by just 0.2secs.
Track conditions were a challenge for much of the day due
to the sand from the surrounding desert being blown onto the
racing line. As a result, the drivers took to the track quite
late in the opening session and completed the bulk of their
mileage in the afternoon, once a clean line had appeared and
worked on a wide-ranging programme involving tyre comparisons
and set-up work to suit this challenging 5.412km track.
RESULTS
Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice 1 Free Practice
2
Jenson Button 16 RA108-02 16 laps 01:34.915 P18 33 laps 01:33.710
P11
Rubens Barrichello 17 RA108-04 12 laps 01:35.174 P19 35 laps
01:33.966 P16
Weather Warm and sunny
Temperatures Air: 27-30°C Track: 35-42°C
JENSON BUTTON
Q. How were the track conditions today after the
very windy weather we have experienced this week?
A. "The track was fairly dirty this morning with a lot
of sand having been blown onto the racing line over the past
few days. We sat out the first half of the session until conditions
improved, completing most of our mileage this afternoon. After
the first few runners had been out in the second session,
the track cleaned up quite nicely and continued to improve."
Q. With the benefit of today's running, what do you think
the team can expect from the rest of the weekend?
A. "It was a good day of testing today and we achieved
some valuable tyre comparison work which will set us up nicely
for the rest of the weekend. We do still have some set-up
work to complete and we need to improve the balance, but overall
it was a good start. We are hoping to break into the top ten
qualifiers this weekend. It will be a tough challenge, and
we will have a better idea of how our competitors are performing
after tomorrow morning, but I'm confident we can give it a
good shot."
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Q. How are you feeling going into the Bahrain Grand
Prix, the third consecutive race where we have experienced
very high temperatures?
A. "The first two races of the season in Australia and
Malaysia were very hot, so we are certainly acclimatised to
the temperatures we are seeing here. This is a dry heat which
is not as physically demanding on the drivers. From a personal
fitness perspective, I'm feeling good and having three races
in just one month is the best training that you can have.
I have no concerns about the car operating in these temperatures
as the last two races have proved its reliability."
Q. What have been the main set-up challenges today?
A. "The main challenge for me today has been with the
brakes, which I struggled with for much of the two sessions.
So our focus was on setting up the brakes and the car to satisfy
the high braking demands of this circuit. Unfortunately by
the end of the day, I was still having difficultly and losing
time with the new tyres due to a lack of confidence getting
on the brakes, so we have some further work to do on this
tomorrow."
STEVE CLARK
Head of Race & Test Engineering
Q. Just how much of challenge are the sandy and windy
conditions here in Bahrain?
A. "There was very little grip for the start of P1, as
expected and our program consisted only of rudimentary work
in the first session. The track grip improves quickly here
and the second session was very productive for us. The very
fine and dusty sand can be damaging to internal components
and is a particular challenge for the engine. The forecast
is for strong winds for qualifying and the race. This will
affect the top speed of the car as well as the cornering performance.
We have to calculate this to decide the gear ratios and aero
set-up."
Q. What can we expect from this weekend's Bahrain
Grand Prix?
A. "Today's practice went very well with both cars working
towards a race setup, so we can think in terms of a potential
top ten qualifying result."
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