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F1: Honda to Introduce Revamped Car for Second Race
Written by: RACER Staff   http://www.racer.com
03/04/2007 - 07:00 PM
London, UK
 


Underneath its innovative "earth" livery, the RA107 might not have the goods to fight at the front yet. (LAT Photo) ยป More Photos

Honda Racing has admitted the shortcomings of its new RA107 challenger and intends to introduce a heavily-revised version of the car already in time for the second race of the season, the Malaysian Grand Prix on April 8. The 2007 Formula 1 season kicks off in two week's time in Australia on March 18.

"There will be a big upgrade at the Sepang test, and also a revision to the suspension," technical director Shuhei Nakamoto told autosport.com on the test at the Malaysian circuit, scheduled for the week after the Melbourne race. "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."

In spite of that, Nakamoto expects Honda to be fighting for points at
Albert Park.

"With our team over the last seven or eight years it has been an evolutionary process and we evolved our way up to fourth place in the championship last year," he added. "But to get into the top three, we don't feel you can do it with evolution. It is more minor revolution and a lot of features of this car, especially the cooling package, the exhaust packaging and Coke bottling at the rear of the car are probably more dramatic than any other.

"So the headroom this cars gives us in order to develop through the season is much greater than we have had before. I am not promising we will win in Melbourne, far from it, I think we will be in a points scoring position.

"But as we go through the season this car has the ability to get stronger and stronger, and it will be a race winner."