Difficult Race at Silverstone
Honda Racing F1 Team
The Honda Racing F1 Team endured a disappointing British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Local hero Jenson Button retired early in the race and Rubens Barrichello finished outside the points, in 10th place.
The early laps promised much, however. Jenson drove a superb opening lap to move up from 19th on the grid to 14th, and Rubens slipped just one place at Turn 1 to be seventh. But neither driver could capitalize on their positions because a first lap incident further back in the field brought out the Safety Car.
The race was re-started on lap three, once the debris from Mark Webber and Ralf Schumacher's collision had been removed. Jenson and Rubens maintained their positions, but Rubens could do nothing to stop the lighter-fuelled Juan Pablo Montoya from passing him on lap four.
Further back, Jenson continued to make good progress. On lap five he passed Jarno Trulli for 13th place, and one lap later he dived inside Vitantonio Liuzzi for 12th. He was then closing on David Coulthard for 11th, when an engine oil leak caused his retirement after just 9 laps.
Rubens battled on in eighth place and made his first pitstop on lap 19. The mechanics turned him around in an impressive 8.3s, but such was the closeness of the middle order that by the time the pitstop sequence had been completed, he had dropped out of the points to 10th place.
Rubens spent the middle section of the race chasing down Jacques Villeneuve, but he failed to find a way through, and after making his second and final pitstop on lap 42, he came home in 10th place.
The team now heads to a test session in Monza before heading to the Canadian Grand Prix, which takes place on June 25.