BAR Reveal Interim Car at Barcelona

BAR Honda revealed their 2004 car concept at Barcelona today, as the pre-season testing began at the Spanish circuit.

The interim car has a distinctive livery and is designed to help the team to evaluate new technologies - an interim step towards the new BAR Honda 006 which is planned to be launched in February.

The team are running two cars during the three-day programme, stating their core objectives are to evaluate the performance of the 2004 engine and rear-end package, to provide a preliminary assessment of reliability, and to kick-start development work with new tyre supplier Michelin. Jenson Button will be running at the wheel of the 2004 Concept car, whilst Takuma Sato will work mainly with this year's BAR Honda 005.

"This week's programme is essentially the start of our 2004 season," commented Technical Director Geoffrey Willis. "We have made significant advances for next year with both engine and transmission, and we are eager to start evaluating those with the benefit of our 2004 Concept car.

"Another major technical development is of course our move to Michelin tyres and this week's test will see us working with their engineers for the first time. We are embarking on a steep learning curve in order to reoptimise our car in light of this significant change, and to this end we are planning to conduct substantially more testing than we did prior to the 2003 season.

"Our success in the Japanese Grand Prix and resulting 5th place in the 2003 Constructors' Championship has invigorated an already highly-motivated and very determined team. We go into the first test of the new period with a very clear vision of where we want to be next season and a well-structured path for how we are going to get there."

Commenting on the start of the winter testing programme, Shuhei Nakamoto, Engineering Director for Honda Racing Development, said: "We are excited about seeing our new engine put through its paces on the track for the first time this week. It is lighter, more compact and has a lower centre of gravity than last season's unit, and we are looking forward to a productive winter testing season to lay the foundations for improved race results next year."