| 9-11 July 2004 The hopes of a nation 's Formula One fans rest largely on Lucky Strike B. A . R Honda 's shoulders this weekend as the team prepares to do battle in its home race at Silverstone . The race team hot-footed its way back from Magny-Cours to B. A . R 's Northamptonshire base on Sunday night , ready to put all their efforts into the British Grand Prix , which takes place quite literally on the team 's own doorstep . Every team and driver wants to win their home event and B. A . R Honda and lead driver Jenson Button are no exception . After an excellent first half of the season , in which he has brought home six trophies in ten races , Jenson 's sights are firmly set on that elusive maiden win for himself and the team . There could be no better venue than Silverstone to take the victory spoils , where his legions of British fans will be out in force and practically the entire B. A . R workforce will take over a grandstand for the weekend to will both drivers to glory on home asphalt . Round 11 of the Formula One World Championship is the last of three gruelling back-to-back races in the 2004 calendar , falling just one week after a disappointing French Grand Prix for the team . The problems , which afflicted both Jenson and Takuma last weekend , are the subject of the most rigorous investigations and the team will leave no stone unturned to ensure reliability is not an issue this Sunday . The team consolidated its third place position in the Constructors ' standings last weekend but lost all of the ground it had gained on Renault as a result of Takuma 's retirement and the anti-stall trigger , which cost Jenson precious time and a potential podium in his final pitstop . Jenson geared up for his Silverstone challenge when he raced into London 's Regent Street on Tuesday 6 July . Over 100,000 spectators got a rare opportunity to see Jenson and his B. A . R Honda race car at close quarters , albeit at a rather more sedate pace than the 300km/h plus speeds he will be unleashing next Sunday . Jenson Button on the British Grand Prix " After the disappointment of Magny-Cours , where we had a good chance of a podium , it feels great to be back in Britain to prepare for our home race . We targeted our first win for around this point in the season and it goes without saying that it would be fantastic to achieve that this weekend . This race is special for so many reasons . I love racing here and will never forget my debut F1 race here four years ago when I passed Michael Schumacher on the first lap . He might have been on a different fuel load but that was a fantastic moment nonetheless . It 's incredibly moving to race in front of my home crowd , especially with the sea of Union Jacks down the start-finish straight ! Most importantly , this is a weekend when the whole team get to share in our achievements and I just hope that we have something special to celebrate with them on Sunday night . " Takuma Sato on the British Grand Prix " Obviously Suzuka is my own home race , but I now live in England and this is my second home . I want to do well in front of the team and its many British fans and I hope I have the car to deliver a good result next Sunday . The British Grand Prix is one of the most exciting in my opinion . I also have very fond memories of the circuit from my Junior and Formula 3 days , so I am always very excited to head back there . It 's a shame that we had a slightly disappointing result at the French Grand Prix , however I am still confident from our performance in Indy . Historically , Silverstone is always an exciting race , especially with the unpredictable weather , so it could be very exciting . " Anthony Davidson , B. A . R Honda 's British Third Driver " We have been very quick at Silverstone in general testing this year and both Jenson and Taku topped the timesheets on the days when they ran here . From a personal perspective , this will be the best Friday I 've ever had in terms of recognition and it will be great to get a share of the limelight with the British fans . I live just a few miles from Silverstone so I am very well acquainted with the changeable weather conditions we get here and which always make the British Grand Prix even more exciting ! As always , I 'll be doing my bit to get the team off to a good start on Friday . " David Richards , Team Principal " There is a great deal of expectation on our shoulders as we head into our home race this weekend . Silverstone is in our own backyard with Jenson currently the top British driver , I would anticipate that a large proportion of British F1 fans will be pinning their hopes on us this Sunday . Obviously it would be wonderful to achieve our maiden victory at our home track , but whatever the outcome , it will be a very special weekend . Very few of our staff ever get to go to a race and yet each and every one of them has been integral to the transformation in our performance this season . We have created plenty of opportunities for them to be part of the action this weekend and to see the benefits of their hard work at close quarters . The Regent Street event is a fantastic curtain-raiser for the Grand Prix and the opportunity to bring the fans even closer to the sport and their heroes . However , in the heat of the preparations , we cannot overlook the fact that the French Grand Prix was a disappointment for us and we will be doing everything possible in the days ahead to ensure we are fully on top of any factors which have compromised us . All in all , it will be a very exciting weekend ahead ! " Geoffrey Willis , Technical Director " In Magny-Cours we did not achieve either our full performance potential or reliability and both areas need addressing in the short run up to the British Grand Prix and beyond . The Silverstone circuit requires a harder tyre solution than normal to cope with the very high speed corners and loadings they induce . The harder compounds reduce degradation but this has to be balanced against losing too much grip for the slower speed areas at Club and in the complex . The nature of the corners also requires a car that can be stable under high speed changes of direction without generating lower speed understeer or poor traction . We were able to use the Silverstone test in early June to work on the tyre choices with Michelin and investigate set-up solutions suited to the track . So going into our home race we are confident of fighting for a good result . " Shuhei Nakamoto , Engineering Director , Honda Racing Development " We had a tough weekend in France and we will of course be working very hard to get back into our podium scoring form . The British Grand Prix is a very important race for us - we always enjoy competing on home ground and it 'll be great to race in front of the local fans and many of our staff . " The Circuit Race distance - 60 laps . 191.644 miles ( 308.355km ) Circuit length - 3.195 miles ( 5.141 km ) Race Start - 13.00 GMT This historic circuit , a former airfield , is one of the few remaining venues where Formula One cars can really be unleashed and as a result it is still one of the highlights of the calendar - amply demonstrated by last year 's incredible race . The circuit itself is a thrilling drive , although there is some criticism over a lack of passing places . However , overtaking moves are possible into Vale and Abbey , although cars tend to lose downforce following each other closely through the preceding fast corners . The entry to Becketts is now the quickest corner on the track , a 290 km/h bend , while the slowest section is the 80 km/h , Vale left-hander that leads directly into Club corner . Silverstone has been heavily censured in the past because of the traffic problems that have arisen on the small access roads around the circuit . However , the new road system introduced just in time for the 2002 race seems to have rectified most of these issues once and for all . Honda F1 Highlights - Honda-powered drivers enjoyed four consecutive triumphs at the British Grand Prix in the late 1980s - Nigel Mansell taking victory in 1986 and 1987 , Ayrton Senna in 1988 and Alain Prost in 1989 . - In 1987 Honda savoured its most successful ever Grand Prix at Silverstone when cars powered by its engines came home in first , second , third and fourth positions - Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet in Williams Hondas followed by Ayrton Senna and Satoru Nakajima in Lotus Hondas . |