Team story
Origins
British American Tobacco funded the project through which Craig Pollock took over Tyrrell, retaining its name for 1998 before BAR's debut in 1999. Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 World Champion, arrived alongside Ricardo Zonta. The new car, built with Reynard and powered by Supertec, opened a season without points, far short of the stated ambitions.
The Formula 1 journey
The Honda partnership began in 2000, and Villeneuve claimed BAR's first podium in Spain in 2001. It was Jenson Button, however, who became the central figure in its progress: in 2004, the 006 took the team to second in the Constructors' Championship. Button secured pole at Imola and Takuma Sato reached the podium at Indianapolis, but no victory came.
Historical timeline
Three chapters in the story of BAR
Three episodes to revisit the people, cars and races that shaped this journey.
First appearance · Australian Grand Prix
Ricardo Zonta · Australian Grand Prix 1999. The recorded outcome is DNF. This is the first recorded race start, or the first entry if the team never started a race.
Sporting landmark · Spanish Grand Prix
Jacques Villeneuve · Spanish Grand Prix 2001. The recorded position is P3; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This marks the first win or podium where one exists, otherwise the highest recorded placing for this constructor.
Latest recorded appearance · Chinese Grand Prix
Takuma Sato · Chinese Grand Prix 2005. The recorded outcome is DNF. This is the last race start attributed to this constructor in the archive, not necessarily the end of the organisation behind it.
A distinctive way of racing
Initially, BAR proposed two different liveries for Lucky Strike and 555; the regulations imposed a common solution, with each car split between the two colour schemes. On the technical side, the Honda relationship grew progressively closer, connecting Brackley, the European engine operation and Japanese research. The 007 of 2005 represented that move towards greater Honda industrial involvement.
What remains
The 2005 season was also complicated by disqualification at Imola and a suspension for the following two races after the controversy over the fuel system. From 2006, the name became Honda. Brackley's continuity would lead to Brawn and Mercedes, but their successes are not BAR victories: its high point remains second in the 2004 World Championship.
