Honda Racing F1 Team unveils RA 106 car for 2006 Formula One season

25 January 2006
CATALUNYA, SPAIN

The RA 106 F1 car has been unveiled by Honda at Catalunya. The question is, will this car finally the dreams of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello?

Honda Racing F1 Team has unveiled its RA 106 race car for the 2006 F1 season at Circuit de Catalunya, Spain. Jenson Button, formerly of BAR Honda team, and Rubens Barrichello, formerly Michael Schumacher's colleague at Ferrari were presented as the 2006 drivers of the Honda Racing F1 team.

Honda Racing F1 Team that the event marked an important milestone, as the RA 106 was the first car launched by an official Honda works team since 1968.

Two RA 106 F1 cars made their appearance, and testing would commence with both the drivers. It is a prestigious moment when the car and chassis and engine are made by a single official car manufacturer.

The RA 106 F1 car mostly os white, with its sponsor Lucky Strike's colors also making an appearance. 

At the unveiling of their 2006 challenger Honda Racing F1 Team CEO Nick Fry said that the Honda team will try their utmost to achieve race wins. He said that the building blocks to that anticipated success were put in place in 2005, and that Jenson Button had finished in the points in the last ten races of the 2005 season. Rubens Barrichello, of course, was Michael Schumacher's unfortunate teammate at Ferrari - Nick Fry didn't say that, we did.

Yasuhiro Wada, President of Honda Racing Development and Board Member of the Honda Racing F1 Team
said at the occasion that “the 2006 F1 season means a great deal to all of us at Honda as it marks the beginning of a new adventure and confirms an even greater commitment to F1." He expressed hope that the engineers are Bracknell and in Japan would rise to the challenge.

The RA 106 Formula One car has the new V8 engine (required acording to the 2006 F1 regulations) and this was a significant challenge for Honda, as it is for all the Formula One teams. Chassis design of the RA 106 has been changed to suit the engine and its lesser heat output also necessitated changes in the cooling air intakes.

Will Honda F1 Racing Team's RA 106 and the new 2006 V8 engine meet the challenges of the switch from V10 engines to V8s? The drivers seem confident enough. Rubens has been with Ferrari for almost 5 years, and he is too thrilled with the new car. Truth betold, he could actually be thrilled to be finally out of the former world champion's shadow at Ferrari.

Jenson Button, as well as the thid driver Anthony Davidson are raring to go. We shall be keeping an eye out for how the RA 106 performs during the tests. Not to mention how the drivers fare. Keep reading us!