Giancarlo Fisichella
“I have happy memories of Imola as I won my first Formula 3 race here, in the rain. The circuit has changed quite a lot since then, in order to make it safer, and although it is still an exciting track where at times you have to be careful, I did prefer it before.

“To succeed at this race you need a strong engine, lots of downforce, good traction and the brakes usually have to work quite hard as well.  There are so many different types of corner with varying angles and speeds that set-up is a real challenge, so I will be working hard with my engineers to find the best package for the whole track.  As I’m Italian, the atmosphere in Imola is special and there’s a real buzz, with a lot of fans supporting me.  I can’t promise results, but for sure I will be doing my very best and hope to have a good weekend.”

Takuma Sato
“Things have been busy after Brazil as we flew straight back to Europe and immediately to Valencia, so I have had just a few days at home to relax and work on fitness before I go to Imola. I am really looking forward to racing in Italy because I know what the atmosphere will be like there.  Another reason I expect to enjoy my stay in San Marino is that I love Italian food!”

TESTING UPDATE
Sato and Fisichella shared testing duties during the team’s three-day test in Valencia from 2 to 4 April.  The drivers completed 159 laps without any major reliability issues.  The test programme included work on wet and dry set-up, traction and launch control, tyre testing for Bridgestone, assessing new brake components and continuing work on Honda’s development programme.  Both drivers are satisfied with progress made by the team on car set-up and they were encouraged by the improvements made by Honda.

Takuma Sato said, "The weather conditions at this test were quite stormy at the beginning of the week and although it limited us in some ways, we were able to do successful Bridgestone wet tyre tests and also find a good wet set-up balance. It was a valuable experience for me as it was the first really good wet test I have done for a long time.  Honda has made some improvements to the engine and I can already feel more power and top end so I am hopeful for the next races. Honda is working hard to make the engine even better and I am sure they will get there.”