Honda not ready to write off season

The Japanese squad started the season as one of the favourites to fight for wins, but their year has been in decline, the team having scored just three points in the last four races and only 32 in total.

Sunday's French Grand Prix was another difficult race for Honda, with both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello retiring with engine-related problems.

But despite having no chances of fighting for their maiden Grand Prix win this year, team boss Nick Fry says the team are still concentrating on this season, rather than switch their full focus to 2007.

"I think there is a danger of seeing one season as something completely separate or discrete from next season," said Fry.

"You do one season and then you test through the year and I don't think you can completely write off one season in terms of development of car, you want to develop to learn things that you can then implement for the next year so I don't' subscribe to the blue skies next year point of view.

"We have got to continue to work hard to understand our strengths and weaknesses, continue to develop the car and use that experience for next year. So in terms of are we going to win the championship this year, of course not, so it is a write-off in terms of championship aspirations.

"In terms of our development process we will continue to work hard, we learn from that and we put that into trying to improve over the winter and build that into next year's car. It depends on your definition of a write-off I guess.

"We are just going to continue to work on things, from now on it is going to be difficult, the strength of both Ferrari and Renault especially means that no one else is getting a look in but difficult though it may be we will just try out hardest."

Fry has insisted that the team remain positive despite their dismal year, and they are still working hard to improve the situation.

"One thing that remains incredibly gratifying is that everyone is pulling together and the phrase I just said, we got into it together and we got out of it together," added Fry. "We are where we are, let's get our heads down and get on with it.

"Everyone is of the same opinion, we are not. There is a good atmosphere, clearly frustrated and disappointed but there is no point tying up our shoelaces, looking at the ground and getting upset with ourselves. We have got to get on and try and improve that."