Honda 2008 Review, Part Three: The Podium and the Turning Point

Here comes part three in my review of the Greatest F1 Team ever (well in my opinion anyway). I’m afraid from this point on things will get gloomy. Whilst Honda managed to score its first podium since Brazil 2006, these three races marked a turning point in the team’s fortunes and probably prompted the decision to concentrate on 2009.

2008 Season review of Honda Racing F1: Part Three, Canada to Britain

Canada: 8th June 2008

Qualifying
Jenson Button (JB): 19
Rubens Barrichello (RB): 9

Race
JB: 11
RB: 7

A real mixed Saturday provided Rubens with his best Qualifying position of the year so far and gear box woes proved to be a thorn in Jenson’s side. So Rubens got into Q3 and qualified a very respectable P9 whilst Jenson could only manage P19.

Despite the mixed bag in Qualifying both drivers performed very well on race day.  As always the Canadian GP gave spectators a chaotic and enjoyable show.

The big news was that Kubica managed to capitalise on bizarre mistakes from Hamilton and Rosberg, but to me as a Honda fan the best news was that for a while it looked as if Rubens was on target for a podium! 

A great one stop strategy and more top driving meant that the Brazilian was able to score good (crucial) points for Honda. Jenson too did very well; fighting hard and keeping focused to come from the very back of the grid and finish just outside the top ten. 

Only 13 cars finished the race due to the tricky surface and I think that it was a great achievement for both drivers to bring the RA108s in unscathed.

France: 22nd June 2008

Qualifying
JB: 17
RB: 18

Race
JB: DNF
RB: 14

A really disappointing Saturday, neither driver even threatened Q2. The official Team Web site described the day as “character-building.” In actual fact, this race or Canada, marked the point at which Honda would now be lucky to break into the second session of qualifying. 

Both drivers were reasonably pleased with their set ups but stated that the car simply lacked pace. Head of Race and Test Engineering Steve Clark, rather worryingly (for we Honda fans and the Team), seemed to suggest on the official website that the teams performance, (or lack of!) was a bit of a surprise. 

As would be the case for the rest of the season now, the two Honda drivers would have to prove their worth on race day.

The race unfortunately was no better.  Rubens did manage to make up six places (the most gained by any driver on the grid that day) whereas poor old Jens’s race was ruined by a first corner collision with Bourdais’s Torro Rosso.

The damage sustained was made worse when, for another race a Honda driver had the unfortunate job of lapping with a front wing under his car. 

The team changed Jenson’s nose but as Rubens showed us in Spain, F1 cars simply aren’t meant to have wings underneath them! The Brit retired after 16 laps.

Rubens had to start from the back of the grid, but thanks to great pit stops and a fantastic drive from the Brazilian veteran, in a below par car, Honda managed to salvage at least some positives from an otherwise dismal weekend.

Britain: 6th July 2008

Qualifying
JB: 17
RB: 16

Race
JB: 15
RB: 3!

Arguably Honda’s best race since Brazil 2006, with their first podium finish in over a year.  Yet another disappointing Saturday for the team at its home GP.  Neither driver looked comfortable and neither made Q2.

After a disappointing qualifying session I don’t think any of the Honda Team expected what followed the next day.  Now everyone went on about how great Lewis was in the rain. 

As a Brit I would argue against that; I think we are all ‘wet weather specialists’ as basically three quarters of the year we drive in the wet! (Lewis is unfortunate there isn’t a Swiss race, he’d probably ace that). 

The weather was very typical for an English July day and whilst this proved disastrous for the Ferraris, Honda were able to capitalise on genius strategy (and as always luck). 

Both Jenson and Rubens pulled themselves up the grid. On the damp track both RA108s lined up with wet tyres and by the end of the first lap Rubens had taken six places, Jenson five. 

A problem with the drivers second fuel stop lost time but Rubens managed to fight his way up to Second place after fitting extreme wets and even lapped faster than the wet weather specialist!

Perhaps Jenson would have been able to put in a similar performance if he hadn’t hit standing water on lap 38 that ended his race stuck in gravel (though he was struggling with oversteer.)

The huge boost in morale that a home podium bought the team was priceless; so could they manage a one, two finish in Germany?

Though the Podium in Britain was great, these three races were I think a turning point in Honda’s 2008 campaign.  From now on the Team would struggle to break into Q2 and would be hampered by a lack of pace. I truly hope the team I love doesn’t hit the wall this time next year!
 
Just one final comment; I think this will be the last time I mention the ‘Brazilian choice’ at Honda; I received my issue of F1 Racing yesterday and saw their prediction for the 2009 grid. 

As I had predicted, F1 Racing saw Jenson and Bruno driving for the Japanese team next year.  I really like and admire Bruno Senna, I think he has huge potential. However, I also really like and admire Rubens. 

I love the Honda Racing Team but I do not love the way they seem to be treating a true F1 legend.  I would argue that the Pressure to have a Senna in a Honda again is probably too much and it probably didn’t matter how well Di Grassi did.

Next three coming up next week.