ALEX WURZ JOINS HONDA AS TEST & RESERVE DRIVER
The Honda Racing F1 Team is pleased to announce that Alex
Wurz has joined the team in the position of Test and Reserve
Driver.
Alex brings significant depth of experience to Honda, having
competed in 69 Grands Prix from 1997 to 2007. The 33 year
old Austrian is considered to be one of the best development
drivers in Formula One and will share the track testing responsibilities
with the team's race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.
Together they will form the most experienced driver line-up
currently competing in Formula One. Alex will also attend
all of the races this season as the team's Reserve Driver.
Alex will commence his testing role with the Honda Racing
F1 Team on Tuesday 22 January in Valencia, joining Jenson
and Rubens at the Spanish circuit for the team's first test
of the year. He will spend this test acclimatising to the
team, its systems and last year's RA107 to provide a reference
for his onward development role. The race drivers will be
at the wheel of the team's new RA108 challenger, which will
run in its interim colours in advance of the team's technical
and livery launch at its Brackley headquarters on 29 January.
Team Principal Ross Brawn comments, "We are delighted
to welcome Alex to the Honda Racing F1 Team and very pleased
to have secured one of the most experienced development drivers
in Formula One to support our race driver pairing of Jenson
Button and Rubens Barrichello. Alex has 11 years of top level
experience in the sport and this depth and breadth of knowledge
will prove invaluable to us as we aim to make Honda a competitive
force in 2008. Alex will spend his first Honda test familiarising
himself with our team and the RA107 before moving on to play
a crucial role in the track development of the new RA108 car.
We are looking forward to working closely with him over the
coming months."
Commenting on his new role with Honda, Alex Wurz said, "I
am delighted to be joining the Honda Racing F1 Team at the
beginning of what I hope can be a very exciting period for
the team. Honda has such a rich history of success in motorsport
and it is a real honour to be part of a team that has racing
right at the core of its operation. This is an excellent opportunity
to play an important role in the development of the team going
forward. My three previous teams have all been world championship
winners and I hope to be able to contribute to Honda's ambitions.
The chance to work with one of the best brains in F1 in Ross
Brawn is very exciting, as is the level of resources that
the Honda team has at its disposal. I am also looking forward
to working with Jenson and Rubens, two drivers who I know
very well, and I'm sure we will form a very successful partnership
over the coming weeks. For now, my immediate focus is on getting
back in a Formula One car in Valencia and starting work with
the team."
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