After a truly miserable 2007 season, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello have insisted that Honda will hit back next year.
Button and Barrichello looking to the future
After a truly miserable 2007 season, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello have insisted that Honda will hit back next year.
The Japanese squad finished a lowly eighth in the Constructors' Championship, just ahead of Super Aguri - who raced with modified versions of Honda's 2006 car.
Launched amid publicity surrounding the environmental message Honda now use their F1 team to convey, their RA107 car ultimately proved a complete dud.
For the first time in his career, Barrichello failed to score a point all season, while Button managed 15th place in the Drivers' Championship - his resolve in face of adversity arguably more impressive than a haul of six points.
Hardships
But the 27-year-old Briton has claimed that such hardships have, in fact, brought the team together.
"It goes without saying that 2007 has been a very tough season for me and the Honda Racing F1 Team," Button told the official Formula One website. "However, a year like this brings out the real character of a team.
"We've had to pull together, keep motivated and try as hard as we can even though the performance of the car was far from what we expected.
"I'm pleased that we were able to do that and achieve points finishes when others had faster cars and didn't.
Button also insisted that the reduced circumstances in which he found himself during 2007 have actually improved his skills as a racing driver.
"Fighting from further back on the grid has actually been quite fun in the second half of the year, particularly in Turkey, Italy and China where I managed to do a lot of overtaking," he continued. "This all helps to develop your race craft for the future.
"We know where we went wrong with this car and the team will be back at the factory over the winter working very hard to give Rubens and myself a more competitive car for next year.
"For my part, I will be focusing as always on my physical fitness and preparation for the new season, and we will hope to make a fresh and positive start to 2008."
Barrichello confident
Team-mate Barrichello is also confident that Honda's fortunes will change.
"We knew from the start of the season that the RA107 would not be on the pace and it was such a disappointment, particularly after the team ended the previous season in 2006 so strongly," he said.
"Having said that, the season has been a learning experience for the team and I am very proud of the way that we have all pulled together and worked through the difficult times.
"I am disappointed not to have scored any points this year as but for some bad luck at key times, we should have been in the points on at least a couple of occasions.
"Looking ahead to next season, we will be working very hard over the winter and pre-season to improve our position for the 2008 season.
"The team has done a lot of growing together this year, and with some of the new faces who have joined to strengthen our resources back at the factory, I am optimistic that there will be an improvement in our performance next year."
