by Russell Atkins
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Alex Wurz is eagerly anticipating the latest challenge in his
Formula 1 career that of returning Honda to the winners' circle in the wake of an abject 2007 campaign for the Japanese outfit that saw it register a scant six points.
The Austrian has been active in the top flight since 1997 when he was signed up as a test-driver by the front-running Benetton (now Renault) squad, but since then has made only 69 starts in the uppermost echelon, spending more time testing for
McLaren and
Williams. In recent years, indeed, he has competed in just the odd race here and there for the former and a full season with the latter in 2007, following which he decided to definitively hang up his racing helmet.
He was persuaded to remain in
F1, though, by
Honda, who clearly value his testing expertise and experience and snapped up his services as test-driver for the forthcoming campaign and considerably beyond, he is keen to point out.
Let me assure you, I'm not here for the short-term, Wurz asserted, speaking exclusively to
Crash.net Radio. I'm really happy with my position where I am now, and I mean
really happy, because I love testing and development, I love speaking with the engineers trying to find little bits every little thing is important on a race car. That's what I've always enjoyed, and being with Honda now is exactly what I wanted to do.
The 33-year-old is well aware it will be no mean feat for Honda to regain the podium-threatening and race-winning form it displayed towards the end of 2006, but he is equally confident the Brackley-based outfit now has everyone and everything in place to be able to begin to fight back. Despite unspectacular testing form so far, he is also positive the RA108 will be a considerable step forward over its unloved predecessor, the RA107.
