The Honda Racing F1 Team put in its most competitive showing of the year in Barcelona today, when Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button ran in the points at different stages of the race.

As predicted by the drivers after qualifying, the consistency of the RA107 has improved in race trim. Rubens eventually finished the 65-lap Spanish Grand Prix in 10th place, with Jenson two places behind in 12th position.

From their 12th (Rubens) and 14th (Jenson) grid positions, the drivers drove very aggressively early on to be 10th (Rubens) and 11th at the end of the opening lap. That’s where they stayed for the next 10 laps, until Kimi Raikkonen retired with an electronics problem, which promoted them to ninth (Rubens) and 10th (Jenson) places.

Rubens was the first of the Honda Racing F1 Team drivers to pit, on lap 18, and from which he emerged in 13th place. It was during this first pitstop sequence that Jenson climbed to eighth place, a points-scoring position, for the first time this year.

Three laps later Jenson made his first stop, from which he rejoined the track alongside Rubens. The Honda Racing F1 Team team-mates entered Turn 1 side-by-side, and the smallest of touches caused Jenson to lose his front wing. He returned to the pits immediately to get a new nose, which demoted him to 16th place.

Rubens, meanwhile, climbed into eighth place himself and drove brilliantly to keep Giancarlo Fisichella at bay, until the Italian pitted on lap 41. Rubens pitted one lap later, but rejoined behind Fisichella in 10th place, which is where he finished the race.

Jenson drove tenaciously during the second half of the race, climbing from 16th to 12th at the flag.

The Honda Racing F1 Team now heads to Paul Ricard in France for a test session, prior to the next race in Monte Carlo on 27 May.

JENSON BUTTON
P12 | Fastest Lap 01:24.186
“We had a good strategy and have been working towards the race all weekend, so I think we were on target for a better day today. Unfortunately, as I exited the pit lane after my first stop, I hit the kerb on the apex and that threw me offline. I lost my front wing as I touched the right rear of Rubens’ car and I had to come back in for a nose change and that was that really in terms of fighting for a point. In the last stint though I thought our pace was very similar to that of Kovalainen and Rosberg which is what helped me to climb back up to 12th. Overall I think we have had a slightly better weekend but there is a lot of work ahead of us. So we have to keep pushing in the test next week and in Monaco and hopefully that will pay dividends for a better step forward in Montreal.”

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
P10 | Fastest Lap 01:24.287
"A better race today in terms of our overall performance and the handling of the car but we just don't have the pace to improve our final position significantly. I had left Jenson enough room at turn one, it's a shame but just one of those racing incidents. We have the four-day test at Paul Ricard this week and I hope we can see another small step forward by Monaco."

JACKY EECKELAERT
Engineering Director
“On the positive side we have made some degree of progress here this weekend. On the other hand, it is just a small step when we have a lot of catching up to do. During the first part of the race both drivers looked to be in a position where they could finish in the top eight. Unfortunately Jenson came together with Rubens after his first stop and damaged his front wing. Rubens ran 8th before the last pit-stop, but the balance on the last set of tyres was not good and he lost the position.”