http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=43919 Honda duo Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button were both far happier with the performance of the RA108 around Monza in Friday practice on the back of “dramatic” changes since the pre-race test. After completing more than a dozen laps apiece in the rain-hit morning session, the pair got its first serious chance to evaluate the car’s altered low-downforce package after the team made changes after struggling at last month’s test. And after setting the 14th and 15th fastest times in the afternoon to slot in just behind the main midfield runners, Barrichello was encouraged by the results of the improvements. "We have changed the car dramatically since the Monza test as we were simply not competitive then,” he said. “It's good that the car had a different reaction to the track today and I can feel that the balance has improved. “We can't read too much into the levels of our performance as the track conditions were not ideal and it depends what our competitors were doing. “So we need to continue our analysis overnight and plan our approach for qualifying tomorrow carefully." Button, who finished the day just one hundredth of a second slower than his team-mate, was also pleased with the overall balance and handling of the car under braking for Monza’s tight chicanes. "The car feels very different today to the test here at the end of August,” he said. “I have a lot more confidence in the braking stability and we have made other positive changes to the mechanical balance. “Considering that we were not able to complete many laps today, we have certainly made a step in the right direction since the test. “However there is still a great deal of work required this evening to look at how we can progress from here over the rest of the weekend." Team boss Ross Brawn admits that the team is still likely to be in for a tough weekend in normal conditions and must hope for rain to make an impression further up the field. "I think this will be a challenging weekend for us but if the weather is inconsistent then we will look at this as an opportunity and one that we will grasp with both hands,” he said. “I'm pleased with the drivers' comments about the car because at the test we really hadn't found a good solution. “However the team have worked well since then to improve the performance and it is good to see this reflected in the timesheets today." Go Button!
