Fry aims to raise the BAR

Nick Fry has admitted BAR-Honda under-achieved this year and has set his team a target of winning races in 2006.

BAR began 2005 on a high after claiming second place in the constructors’ championship the previous year, with chief executive Fry and number one driver Jenson Button promising wins.

They never came in a troubled campaign which was hindered by an under-performing car, and Fry concedes they were “not anywhere near close enough” to breaking their duck.

“To be honest there weren’t any highs as we didn’t win anything,” he said. “Clearly we had some exciting qualification sessions as well as some good starting positions, and podiums are always welcome.

“But this team is now at a state in its development when a second row grid position is expected and whilst being on the front row and podium positions are appreciated, what we really want to do is to win.”

Now he wants to avenge his 2005 disappointment next season, when he has issued a simple target to the Honda-owned team – “to win races, plural”.

Fry believes he has the driver line-up to match his ambitions after tempting Rubens Barrichello to quit Ferrari for BAR, who will be renamed Honda after the Japanese company took full control.

Barrichello joins Button, who bought his way out of a Williams contract to stay at Brackley, 12 months after losing a legal battle to leave the team.

Fry said: “The first thing is it brings stability. For the last couple of years we’ve had the problem of not knowing whether our number one driver is going to be with us the following year, which is always going to be disruptive.

“Now we know Rubens and Jenson will be with us for several years to come which is very positive.

“As everyone knows the biggest competition tends to come from your own team-mate and I’m sure Jenson and Rubens will live up to their equal number one status and push each other very hard and thus on to greater heights.

“Rubens also brings with him the experience of not only being a nine times race winner but also of six years with the championship winning team.”

Fry confirmed his team are on course to launch their new car, the first out-and-out Honda to race in Formula One since the 1960s, in January.