As their test driver Honda today announce that Alex Wurz has joined the team in the position of Test and Reserve Driver. After testing young-guns Andi Zuber, Luca Filippi and Mike Conway at the end of the year, the team opted for the experience of Wurz. The Austrian brings significant depth of experience to Honda, having competed in 69 Grand Prix from 1997 to 2007. The 33 year old is considered to be one of the best development drivers in Formula One and will share the track testing responsibilities with the team's race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. Together they will form the most experienced driver line-up currently competing in Formula One. Wurz will also attend all of the races this season as the team's Reserve Driver. Wurz will commence his testing role with Honda on Tuesday 22 January in Valencia, joining Button and Barrichello at the Spanish circuit for the team's first test of the year. He will spend this test acclimatising to the team, its systems and last year's RA107 to provide a reference for his onward development role. The race drivers will be at the wheel of the team's new RA108 challenger, which will run in its interim colours in advance of the team's technical and livery launch at its Brackley headquarters on 29 January.
Very glad to see this. Maybe not the fastest driver but a good development driver who is also a refreshingly honest and seemingly nice person.
Good for Alex. Could have been worse. ( Forgive me, I had to do it ). Young guns are great for an established mid pack team but they do cost in terms of developement. There has to be a better way to bring them in. No-one wants to take the risk and if they are good the big teams take them away. A three car team rule ?
I think Alex is an excellent test driver, as he had showned in the past. Wasn't he a Ferrari test driver at one point ?
So much for his retirement from racing. Well I suppose, technically, this isn't racing. But good news for both parties!
He tested for McLaren prior to Williams and was very good at it. He should be quite an asset to Honda.
Agreed, in terms of personnel at least, Honda certainly are putting the pieces in place. Bad news for Klien though. Burnt his bridges and now has nothing. Silly boy.
He is a very honest driver. I remember after one quali last season, I cannot remember which race it was, but he flat out stated HE was too slow, not the car. You really have to give the man credit for being able to state he is the limiting factor and not blame everyone around him....very refreshing when you compare him to Alonso and some others. Mark
The top test drivers can make a lot of dosh. One of the Ferrari test drivers, I think it's Luca, makes 3 million Euro a year.
Does this still leave time for a Le Mans return (won it in 1996). Isn't testing in F1 becoming more and more restricted?
