As season approaches Honda scrambling
The specialist magazine Auto Motor und Sport claims that the Japanese carmaker must endure the season opener this month with the currently uncompetitive RA107, but that for the Sepang test a raft of new parts – including updated bodywork and suspension – will be ready.
Round two of the championship will be held at the same circuit near Kuala Lumpur in April.
Auto Motor und Sport said Honda's Brackley based chiefs were disappointed with the Melbourne-spec aerodynamic package, which was fitted to the car in Bahrain last week and appeared to have upped the car's speed.
Indeed, the RA107 is now apparently a full second per lap faster than when it was launched, but it is still up to a second behind the leading pace.
Driver Rubens Barrichello is quoted as saying that one of the main problems is braking.
"We are having to start stopping the car clearly earlier than the others," the Brazilian said, adding that the 2007 machine is too unstable under braking.
03/05/07 Honda are due to make a major update to the RA107 before the Malaysian Grand Prix, the second race of the season, according to reports elsewhere.
"There will be a big upgrade at the Sepang test, and also a revision to the suspension," Honda Racing F1's Senior Technical Director, Shuhei Nakamoto, told autosport.com. "At the moment we are ahead of Red Bull and Toyota, but behind the rest. I know BMW have been using a non-2007 wing (in testing) so they lose one or two tenths, but we will still be behind."
While it’s fair to say that the RA107 has failed to set the timesheets alight, the long-run pace of the car isn't far off the pace, with Nick Fry telling RealHondaF1.com that they expect to be around half a second a lap behind the leading McLaren and Ferrari cars.
"There's certainly more to come," Fry told RealHondaF1.com. "We've taken a bigger step in the longer runs that will give us more potential for improvements, but in the shorter runs it's a bit more difficult to set up. In terms of last week, one lap times were a big problem, but long run times you're probably right, we're probably half a second at least from where we should be.
"Realistically, where I believe we are is that we'll be in a position to score points in Melbourne," he continued. "We want to be winning races certainly, and I think we'll be winning races in the second half of the season, but what I'll say to your readers is 'please don't expect us to win in Melbourne as we probably won't.'"