British Grand Prix: Free Practice & Qualifying

The massed ranks of British Formula One fans flocking to Silverstone tomorrow will see home-grown hero Jenson Button line up on the front row of the grid for his UK-based Lucky Strike B·A·R Honda team. His team-mate Takuma Sato will start from the fourth row in 7th place.

Jenson Button		Jenson Button

Jenson in particular enjoyed a productive morning’s running, in which he steadily worked towards finding the optimum balance for his B·A·R Honda 007. Buoyed by the tremendous support from the grandstands, both drivers are looking forward to a great race, a strong points finish and a shot at the podium in front of the home crowd.

Takuma Sato		Takuma Sato

JENSON BUTTON
Free Practice 1 Position: 3rd / Fastest lap time: 01:21.996
Free Practice 2 Position: 5th / Fastest lap time: 01:20.763
Qualifying Position: 3rd (will start 2nd) Lap time: 01:20.207
“It's a great feeling to be lining up on the front row of the grid at my home race and in my highest-ever qualifying position here at Silverstone. We got everything we could out of the car for qualifying but we do have a very good race balance and strategy, so I think we can have a good race from here and target the podium for sure. The car has struggled a little through Becketts and Copse, which has been a bit of a worry, but it is working very well in the low-speed corners. “ It's so nice to be in this position and to be able to go head to head with the competition. We've had a pretty tough time of it this year, so it's great for the fans and the team who have worked so hard. The crowd here is a big boost to me and it's awesome to see so many fans and union jacks out there. I'm sure that we can put on a good show for them tomorrow, particularly in what has been a very difficult week for Britain.”

TAKUMA SATO
Free Practice 1 Position: 6th / Fastest lap time: 01:22.389
Free Practice 2 Position: 14th / Fastest lap time: 01:21.931
Qualifying Position: 8th (will start 7th) Lap Time: 01:21.114
“We had a small balance issue this morning which meant that I couldn't do any good laps on new tyres, and this affected my preparation. I am pleased that we were able to sort this out and put in a solid lap for qualifying. I still struggled with grip through the high-speed corners, as expected, but it’s nice to be able to show a reasonable pace. My aim this weekend is to score points and I certainly think we can do that from here.”

GIL DE FERRAN, SPORTING DIRECTOR
“Being on the front row at your home Grand Prix is great. Jenson did a fantastic lap again with a car that improved throughout the weekend. Taku has recovered a lot of the lost ground from Friday, and did a good job to put himself on the 4th row. We are very much looking forward to the race tomorrow since not only are we starting high up the grid but the car has shown good consistency in all of the practice sessions.”

SHUHEI NAKAMOTO, ENGINEERING DIRECTOR, HONDA RACING DEVELOPMENT
“Another excellent qualifying lap from Jenson, and a solid performance from Taku after some good work this morning to find a set-up he was comfortable with. The engine has worked well again and we'll be aiming to make it a special day for the team and Jenson's home fans tomorrow.”