By Phil Huff
March 9 2006

Honda Racing F1's Jenson Button arrives in Bahrain brimming with confidence, convinced that the Honda RA106 he'll be driving could well deliver him that first elusive win. "Our pre-season testing programme has been extremely positive," says Jenson. "The RA106 was strong and reliable from the start which has enabled us to complete plenty of mileage and given me the confidence to push the development from an early stage. I tried to complete as much testing as possible over the winter, which is reflected by the amount of kilometres I have driven. I have also been training hard and feel mentally and physically stronger than ever before."

The Honda Racing F1 Team have clocked up some 12,240 miles of running in 2006, more than any other team. Jenson also heads the list for drivers, the Englishman having completed 4,385 of those miles. For comparison, last year BAR also headed the table, covering 12,006 miles. Ferrari have completed just under 8,000 miles, with Renault and McLaren on around 9,000 and 10,000 respectively.

Now that the rigours of testing are over, the drivers head off to the middle east. Following two successful and exciting races in the desert, the F1 circuit again returns to Sakhir for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

"The Bahrain International Circuit is a great track and I enjoy racing here," commented Button. "There are several overtaking opportunities which always makes things exciting and the fast flowing sections are great. Testing in Bahrain in February was hugely beneficial for us and we are the only Michelin team to have tested the tyres and our car in the hot conditions prior to the race."

Honda tested in Bahrain for four days, alongside just Ferrari and Toro Rosso. While some members of rivals Renault have dismissed the test as an irrelevant expense, Honda Racing F1 are certain it will play to their advantage.

With Anthony Davidson setting a lap record on the very final lap of winter testing, Jenson Button is confident going into the first race.

"I think that we have a really competitive package," explains Jenson, "and although this is the first time we will really see where we are compared to the other teams, I hope to be challenging for wins.

"I can't wait for the racing to begin this weekend."