The BAR 006 was the Formula One car with which British American Racing, racing as BAR-Honda, competed in the 2004 season. Driven by Jenson Button and Takuma Sato, it scored 11 podiums and one pole position, and helped the team finish second in the Constructors’ Championship behind Ferrari.
BAR 006 at a glance
| Category | Formula One |
|---|---|
| Season | 2004 |
| Team | BAR-Honda (British American Racing) |
| Race drivers | Jenson Button, Takuma Sato |
| Test driver | Anthony Davidson |
| Podiums | 11 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Constructors’ championship | 2nd |
| Launch | Circuit de Catalunya, 1 February 2004 |
| Title sponsor livery | Lucky Strike, with 555 at the Chinese Grand Prix |
| Off-season development | 05 Concept Car, a modified 006 |
Short article based on one source, the English Wikipedia page on the BAR 006. The older record titled ‘Bar honda’ is the same car and now redirects here.
History of the BAR 006
Launch and early season
The BAR 006 was officially launched at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain on 1 February 2004. From the start of the season the car was competitive: Jenson Button scored six podiums in the first eight races, including his first podium in Malaysia and his first pole position at Imola.
A season of podiums
Takuma Sato added a podium at Indianapolis, becoming the first Japanese driver to finish in the top three since 1990, and Button collected four more podiums in the latter part of the year. The car ended the season with 11 podiums and one pole position. After a close fight with Renault, BAR-Honda finished second in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead of every team except Ferrari. Button finished third in the Drivers’ Championship, while Sato was eighth, the best result for a Japanese driver in Formula One at the time.
Rules and the 05 Concept Car
Launch control and fully automatic gearboxes were banned for 2004 after the team had used them for the previous three seasons. In the 2004–2005 off-season BAR ran a 05 Concept Car: a modified 006 with a black and grey livery, the Honda RA005E engine of the following season and the rear end of the future 007.
Design and features
- Eleven podiums: the best season in BAR-Honda’s history, with Button on the podium in more than half the races.
- First pole position: Button took it at Imola, the car’s only pole of the year.
- Honda power: the car ran as BAR-Honda, the team’s name during its partnership with the Japanese manufacturer.
- Lucky Strike colours: the red and white title-sponsor livery, replaced by 555 colours in China.
BAR 006 versions
- BAR 006 race car: the standard Lucky Strike-liveried car of Button and Sato.
- Third-car liveries: Anthony Davidson drove Friday practice at the Spanish, Italian and Brazilian Grands Prix in black and white, x-ray and graffiti designs.
- 555 colours: at the Chinese Grand Prix the team used British American Tobacco’s 555 branding, including a blue and yellow car for Davidson.
- 05 Concept Car: an off-season development of the 006 with RA005E engine and 007 rear end.
More racing and road cars are in the BAR collection.
Video: BAR 006 – Pure Onboard Sound V10 Engine, 2004 F1 season
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- BAR 006, English Wikipedia: season, results, livery, concept car