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 Brawn

"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 Wurz

"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."

Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver

Discussion started by RealHondaF1.com (IP Logged), 10/01/2008 10:13

RealHondaF1.com
10/01/2008 10:13

Alex Wurz joins Honda Racing F1 as Test Driver

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Mark Gets Wings
10/01/2008 11:41

Great move by Honda, Wurtz is a fantastic test driver and will bring a huge amount of technical knowledge and experience to the team.

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gojenson
10/01/2008 16:20

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.

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Phil Huff
10/01/2008 17:56

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.

Cima Racing | Twitter

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RA106
10/01/2008 18:40

wow unexpected but good move by Honda. Wurz testing experienced his thought of highly but I thought Wurz retired so this was a shocker for me.

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gturner
11/01/2008 04:04

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

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No.1 Rubens fan
11/01/2008 06:31

Great!!!!

Barrichello, Button, Wurz, Brawn, excellent!!

Great move by honda : )

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Dano
11/01/2008 09:26

good logical from Honda. What a great find this is for the team. Now one question remains what can the RA108 do.

2010, Enter Lotus F1

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Stef
11/01/2008 20:52

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.

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SehnKhan
13/01/2008 08:25

Sad to have lost him from Williams, he'll be a great asset to your team.

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