Alex Wurz has explained that the opportunity to help Honda move up the grid is the reason he signed on as the team's test driver.
Retired ace back behind the wheel
Alex Wurz has explained that the opportunity to help Honda move up the grid is the reason he signed on as the team's test driver.
Wurz retired from Formula One prior to last year's season finale in Brazil, having spent the year racing with the Williams team.
However, earlier this month Honda revealed that instead of walking away from the sport, Wurz had signed as their test driver for this year's Championship.
The decision sees the Austrian return to the role that he loves, which is the testing and development of F1 cars.
"I retired as a racing driver. I said at the time that I was happy and keen to work with a team, but not at the forefront - instead to be a little bit of a step back," he told ITV.
"I wanted to test, develop and work with the engineers. It is something I always loved and it gives me a bit of a kick. Actually what I am doing right now is exactly what I hope to be doing in the future."
Rookie
Williams replaced Wurz with rookie driver Kazuki Nakajima at the 2007 season-ending Brazilian GP, after which they agreed to sign him for this year's Championship.
And although Nakajima still has to prove himself in F1, Wurz reckons he has already shown great promise.
"I think very good. He is a very clever guy. He listens, and I remember the first test when he came," he said.
"He was young, and I have seen many young guys come, and after 20 laps the neck falls off and they cannot explore the car. And he drove 85 laps in Jerez and could hold his head still.
"So it meant he put in a lot of effort before, which shows that he knows it is serious. Then the rest will be how can he adjust to the driving style, plus a bit of luck."
