Front Row Start for Button
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Front Row Start for Button
Front Row Start for Button
Charlotte, NC - March 18, 2006 -- Jenson Button will start tomorrow’s Malaysian Grand Prix from the front row of the grid following a sensational performance during this afternoon’s qualifying session. The Honda Racing F1 Team driver drove a faultless lap around the 5.4-kilometre Sepang track to be just 0.1s shy of pole position.
Rubens Barrichello, by contrast, had a troublesome qualifying. The Brazilian set the 12th fastest time of the session, but an engine change after free practice this morning means that he will drop 10 places on the grid, as per the FIA regulations.
This is Jenson’s first front row starting position since last year’s Japanese Grand Prix, and he was very happy with the performance of his RA106. The handling of the car was much improved over yesterday, and he set the fastest time of qualifying’s session two.
In the final 20-minute battle for pole position, Jenson looked set for the top spot until he was pipped in the final seconds by Giancarlo Fisichella. However, he remains hopeful of going one-place better in tomorrow’s 56-lap race, at this, the track where he scored his first podium finish in 2004.
JENSON BUTTON
Free Practice 3 – 4th / Fastest lap time: 1:34.616
Qualifying
Session 1 – 4th / Lap Time: 1:35.023
Session 2 – 1st / Lap Time: 1:33.527
Session 3 – Final Position: 2nd / Lap Time: 1:33.986
“The team has done a fantastic job to get us on the front row of the grid and I have to thank them for that. Things were looking a lot less positive yesterday when we were really struggling to find a good set-up. A lot of hard work was done overnight and tomorrow looks promising, but let’s wait and see. This is always a tough race but I’m certainly looking forward to it.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Free Practice 3 – 15th/ Fastest lap time: 1:36.655
Qualifying
Session 1 – 14th / Lap Time: 1:35.526
Session 2 – Final Position: 12th / Lap Time: 1:34.683
Session 3 – Did not qualify
“This has been quite a difficult day for me. I was still unhappy with the set-up of the car in free practice then we encountered an engine problem and had to change. It was obviously very disappointing for me to know that I would lose 10 places on the grid but we also decided to change chassis to see if this would give us a better chance for the race. I’m starting from towards the back of the grid which means tomorrow will be tough but I’ll give it my best shot and see what the race brings.”
SATURDAY PRACTICE
1 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) 1:34.126
2 Fernando Alonso (Renault) 1:34.180
3 Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault) 1:34.585
4 Jenson Button (Honda Racing F1 Team) 1:34.616
5 Christian Klien (RBR-Ferrari) 1:34.815
6 Kimi Räikkönen (McLaren-Mercedes) 1:34.854
7 Ralf Schumacher (Toyota) 1:35.040
8 Nico Rosberg (Williams-Cosworth) 1:35.242
9 David Coulthard (RBR-Ferrari) 1:35.639
10 Jarno Trulli (Toyota) 1:35.690
11 Mark Webber (Williams-Cosworth) 1:35.700
12 Jacques Villeneuve (Sauber-BMW) 1:36.144
13 Nick Heidfeld (Sauber-BMW) 1:36.505
14 Vitantonio Liuzzi (STR-Cosworth) 1:36.549
15 Rubens Barrichello (Honda Racing F1 Team) 1:36.655
16 Juan Pablo Montoya (McLaren-Mercedes) 1:37.053
17 Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1:37.148
18 Christijan Albers (MF1-Toyota) 1:37.232
19 Scott Speed (STR-Cosworth) 1:37.437
20 Tiago Monteiro (MF1-Toyota 1:37.900
21 Takuma Sato (Super Aguri-Honda) 1:38.821
22 Yuji Ide (Super Aguri-Honda) 1:40.542
Charlotte, NC - March 18, 2006 -- Jenson Button will start tomorrow’s Malaysian Grand Prix from the front row of the grid following a sensational performance during this afternoon’s qualifying session. The Honda Racing F1 Team driver drove a faultless lap around the 5.4-kilometre Sepang track to be just 0.1s shy of pole position.
Rubens Barrichello, by contrast, had a troublesome qualifying. The Brazilian set the 12th fastest time of the session, but an engine change after free practice this morning means that he will drop 10 places on the grid, as per the FIA regulations.
This is Jenson’s first front row starting position since last year’s Japanese Grand Prix, and he was very happy with the performance of his RA106. The handling of the car was much improved over yesterday, and he set the fastest time of qualifying’s session two.
In the final 20-minute battle for pole position, Jenson looked set for the top spot until he was pipped in the final seconds by Giancarlo Fisichella. However, he remains hopeful of going one-place better in tomorrow’s 56-lap race, at this, the track where he scored his first podium finish in 2004.
JENSON BUTTON
Free Practice 3 – 4th / Fastest lap time: 1:34.616
Qualifying
Session 1 – 4th / Lap Time: 1:35.023
Session 2 – 1st / Lap Time: 1:33.527
Session 3 – Final Position: 2nd / Lap Time: 1:33.986
“The team has done a fantastic job to get us on the front row of the grid and I have to thank them for that. Things were looking a lot less positive yesterday when we were really struggling to find a good set-up. A lot of hard work was done overnight and tomorrow looks promising, but let’s wait and see. This is always a tough race but I’m certainly looking forward to it.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Free Practice 3 – 15th/ Fastest lap time: 1:36.655
Qualifying
Session 1 – 14th / Lap Time: 1:35.526
Session 2 – Final Position: 12th / Lap Time: 1:34.683
Session 3 – Did not qualify
“This has been quite a difficult day for me. I was still unhappy with the set-up of the car in free practice then we encountered an engine problem and had to change. It was obviously very disappointing for me to know that I would lose 10 places on the grid but we also decided to change chassis to see if this would give us a better chance for the race. I’m starting from towards the back of the grid which means tomorrow will be tough but I’ll give it my best shot and see what the race brings.”
SATURDAY PRACTICE
1 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) 1:34.126
2 Fernando Alonso (Renault) 1:34.180
3 Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault) 1:34.585
4 Jenson Button (Honda Racing F1 Team) 1:34.616
5 Christian Klien (RBR-Ferrari) 1:34.815
6 Kimi Räikkönen (McLaren-Mercedes) 1:34.854
7 Ralf Schumacher (Toyota) 1:35.040
8 Nico Rosberg (Williams-Cosworth) 1:35.242
9 David Coulthard (RBR-Ferrari) 1:35.639
10 Jarno Trulli (Toyota) 1:35.690
11 Mark Webber (Williams-Cosworth) 1:35.700
12 Jacques Villeneuve (Sauber-BMW) 1:36.144
13 Nick Heidfeld (Sauber-BMW) 1:36.505
14 Vitantonio Liuzzi (STR-Cosworth) 1:36.549
15 Rubens Barrichello (Honda Racing F1 Team) 1:36.655
16 Juan Pablo Montoya (McLaren-Mercedes) 1:37.053
17 Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1:37.148
18 Christijan Albers (MF1-Toyota) 1:37.232
19 Scott Speed (STR-Cosworth) 1:37.437
20 Tiago Monteiro (MF1-Toyota 1:37.900
21 Takuma Sato (Super Aguri-Honda) 1:38.821
22 Yuji Ide (Super Aguri-Honda) 1:40.542