Username
Password
Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver
By Honda Racing F1 January 10 2008
The Honda Racing F1 Team is pleased to announce that Alex Wurz has joined the team in the position of Test and Reserve Driver. Alex brings significant depth of experience to Honda, having competed in 69 Grands Prix from 1997 to 2007, driving for Benetton, McLaren and Williams.

The 33 year old Austrian is considered to be one of the best development drivers in Formula One and will share the track testing responsibilities with the team's race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. Together they will form the most experienced driver line-up currently competing in Formula One. Alex will also attend all of the races this season as the team's Reserve Driver.

Alex will commence his testing role with the Honda Racing F1 Team on Tuesday 22 January in Valencia, joining Jenson and Rubens at the Spanish circuit for the team's first test of the year. He will spend this test acclimatising to the team, its systems and last year's RA107 to provide a reference for his onward development role. The race drivers will be at the wheel of the team's new RA108 challenger, which will run in its interim colours in advance of the team's technical and livery launch at its Brackley headquarters on 29 January.

Ross BrawnRoss Brawn
Team Principal
Honda Racing F1

"We are delighted to welcome Alex to the Honda Racing F1 Team and very pleased to have secured one of the most experienced development drivers in Formula One to support our race driver pairing of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. Alex has 11 years of top level experience in the sport and this depth and breadth of knowledge will prove invaluable to us as we aim to make Honda a competitive force in 2008. Alex will spend his first Honda test familiarising himself with our team and the RA107 before moving on to play a crucial role in the track development of the new RA108 car. We are looking forward to working closely with him over the coming months."

Alex WurzAlex Wurz
Test and Reserve Driver
Honda Racing F1

"I am delighted to be joining the Honda Racing F1 Team at the beginning of what I hope can be a very exciting period for the team. Honda has such a rich history of success in motorsport and it is a real honour to be part of a team that has racing right at the core of its operation. This is an excellent opportunity to play an important role in the development of the team going forward. My three previous teams have all been world championship winners and I hope to be able to contribute to Honda's ambitions. The chance to work with one of the best brains in F1 in Ross Brawn is very exciting, as is the level of resources that the Honda team has at its disposal. I am also looking forward to working with Jenson and Rubens, two drivers who I know very well, and I'm sure we will form a very successful partnership over the coming weeks. For now, my immediate focus is on getting back in a Formula One car in Valencia and starting work with the team."

Bookmark or share this story with:

10 Jan, 2008 11:41 Report
Mark Gets Wings (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 1670
Re: Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver
Great move by Honda, Wurtz is a fantastic test driver and will bring a huge amount of technical knowledge and experience to the team.

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m292/unkydali/wings-sig.gif

ReplyQuote
10 Jan, 2008 16:20 Report
gojenson (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 177
Re: Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver
Alex is a very big step forward! The Honda is very strong, and it will be a good point in the championship. And we will see the RA108 in Valencia at first time. The livery and the other launch is the 29th January. (19 days to go) Unfortunately, the FeedMeF1.com said that the honda says goodbye for the MyEarthDream.

ReplyQuote
10 Jan, 2008 17:56 Report
Phil Huff (IP Logged)
RealHondaF1.com Publisher
Date Joined: Sep, 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 2216
Re: Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver
Quote:
Unfortunately, the FeedMeF1.com said that the honda says goodbye for the MyEarthDream.

I wouldn't write it off yet. I understand the concept will remain, even if the livery itself changes somewhat. I think GMM (for this is where the story started) is blowing things a little out of proportion.

Join other Honda Racing F1 fans on Facebook now.

ReplyQuote
10 Jan, 2008 18:40 Report
RA106 (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 2252
Re: Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver
wow unexpected but good move by Honda. Wurz testing experienced his thought of highly but I thought Wurz retired confused smiley so this was a shocker for me.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/2580_2006/Timsignature170208.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/2580_2006/operationsofficer.gif
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/2580_2006/1159142545_wales-bar.jpg

ReplyQuote
11 Jan, 2008 04:04 Report
gturner (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 1077
Re: Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver
I forget where I saw it, but one article joked that Wurz retired to be with his kids, but spent enough time with them over the holidays that he's ready to get back in the car. Regardless, this is certainly better than the typical option of running a rookie or inexperienced driver as the tester.

"Speed has never killed anyone, suddenly becoming stationary... That's what gets you."-Jeremy Clarkson

ReplyQuote
11 Jan, 2008 06:31 Report
No.1 Rubens fan (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 127
Re: Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver
Great!!!!

Barrichello, Button, Wurz, Brawn, excellent!!

Great move by honda : )

ReplyQuote
11 Jan, 2008 09:26 Report
Dano (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 46
Re: Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver
good logical from Honda. What a great find this is for the team. Now one question remains what can the RA108 do.

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff98/button2000/Button.jpg

Button World Champ 2008

ReplyQuote
11 Jan, 2008 20:52 Report
Stef (IP Logged)
Power of Dreams
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location: Belgium
Posts: 296
Re: Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver
Quote:
f1i.com
Jan.11 (GMM) Honda may appoint a second test driver to work alongside official reserve Alex Wurz in 2008. Andreas Zuber, along with other potential candidates including Mike Conway and Luca Filippi, ran for the Japanese squad in the recent post-season tests. Zuber, the 24-year-old Austrian, told sportnet.at that even though the Wurz appointment surprised the racing world, he is still in the running for a Honda test spot this year. "I have known for more than a month that Honda were negotiating with Wurz," Zuber, who finished the GP2 championship in 2007 in ninth place, said. "I am still in the running. At the end of January I will know if I will get to do more tests, and in mid-February at the latest it will be decided whether I will be the second test driver," he added. It was reported in October that four days will be exempt from each F1 team's testing restrictions in 2008 only for rookies who have amassed less than four days of formula one experience over the past two years.

ReplyQuote
13 Jan, 2008 08:25 Report
SehnKhan (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location:
Posts: 699
Re: Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver
Sad to have lost him from Williams, he'll be a great asset to your team.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6425/willbanhf9.jpg

ReplyQuote
Goto Thread: PreviousNext
Goto: Message ListLog In

Your Name: 
Your Email: 
Subject: 
Spam prevention:
Please, enter the code that you see below in the input field. This is for blocking bots that try to post this form automatically. If the code is hard to read, then just try to guess it right. If you enter the wrong code, a new image is created and you get another chance to enter it right.
CAPTCHA
We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment. We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals. We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards. If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing abuse@sportnetwork.net