Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

[peter]

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=44707

This really does not look good f1 needs more not less teams. What will happen to Jenson ??. Also been reading over the last few weeks about different tracks that may not make it for much longer.

[Caz]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

Peter - I'm about 10 miles from Brackley, so quickly went to look at the local paper page:

http://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/Honda-faces-closure.4764841.jp

[Ian]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

I only heard about the news this morning Not a nice way to wake up!

The optimistic side of me thinks that the team is a great going concern, having spent most of this year's budget on developing its 2009 car. To be honest, Honda's engine was one of the fundamental weaknesses of the car in the last couple of years. So if the team can be sold and a better engine transplanted, things could be rosey.

It's a bit of a shocker though

Ian

[JSR]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

This is dreadful news, given all the promises for 2009.

If Jenson doesn't have a seat next year, that's one less reason for me to watch F1. We already lost Coulthard this year and many rumours about Rubens suggested that his future wasn't rosey, and now Button's on shaky ground, too. There's lots of other good drivers there, but very few that draw me into the sport.

It's a shame that we shall probably never see what Ross Brawn had planned and whether he could have turned the team around, as was the original intent and hope.

If Honda is forced out like this, what hope does the future hold for the other teams? Is this the start of the writing on the wall for F1 in general?

Regardless of what else goes on in the sport, I wanted to see Button in a good car next year. Seems pretty unlikely now.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Presumably, given that the package being offered for sale includes Ferrari engines and will, presumably, also include Ross Brawn, if there's anyone out there with money to spend then there may be a buyer. But would Jenson still get a seat?

According to planet-f1 (http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,189...591228,00.html), Nick Fry has claimed there are already three buyers on the table. So perhaps all hope isn't lost if they can come up with some kind of deal.

[Ian]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

This is dreadful news, given all the promises for 2009.

If Jenson doesn't have a seat next year, that's one less reason for me to watch F1. We already lost Coulthard this year and many rumours about Rubens suggested that his future wasn't rosey, and now Button's on shaky ground, too. There's lots of other good drivers there, but very few that draw me into the sport.

It's a shame that we shall probably never see what Ross Brawn had planned and whether he could have turned the team around, as was the original intent and hope.

If Honda is forced out like this, what hope does the future hold for the other teams? Is this the start of the writing on the wall for F1 in general?

Regardless of what else goes on in the sport, I wanted to see Button in a good car next year. Seems pretty unlikely now.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Presumably, given that the package being offered for sale includes Ferrari engines and will, presumably, also include Ross Brawn, if there's anyone out there with money to spend then there may be a buyer. But would Jenson still get a seat?

According to planet-f1 (http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,189...591228,00.html), Nick Fry has claimed there are already three buyers on the table. So perhaps all hope isn't lost if they can come up with some kind of deal.

I think the difference between this and the failures of other F1 teams in recent-ish years, like Arrows, Super Aguri, Prost, and Simtek, off the top of my head, is that the Honda outfit is top tier, with excellent in-house manufacturing and R&D facilities, headed up by a living legend in Ross Brawn, and there has been considerable investment in the 2009 car. Brawn was on TV this morning saying that he feels Honda have done more on 2009 car development than anyone else.

So there must be some considered optimism that a buyer can be found - Honda aren't apparently looking for a big ticket price, so it just needs someone who can fund the running costs, and F1 is restructuring to lower these anyway.

The rumours that there are interested parties looks very interesting. Fingers crossed!

I'm also a keen Button fan - he's a great character, I like his driving style and I really think F1 will be poorer without him.

Ian

[JSR]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

I'm also a keen Button fan - he's a great character, I like his driving style and I really think F1 will be poorer without him.

At least if there is a buyer, Jenson should be safe, re: http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=44712 -

Where that leaves Jenson in his search for another seat in the event no buyer is forthcoming is another question.

[Ian]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

There is speculation that Brawn is to seek Ferrari to supply engines to the ex-Honda team. That could be interesting... although Honda purists may not like to admit it, but the Honda engine, which will not be raced next year, was one of the core reasons for the team's poor performance. Same story with Renault. The 'second team' Toro Rosso out-raced the Red Bull team, largely because they had Ferrari engines and Red Bull had Renaults.

It is a shame though, as apart from Ferrari and Renault, Honda was the only other team to make its own chassis and engine.

Ian

[JSR]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

A Ferrari engine on top of all the improvements and development done on the 2009 car could be just what the-team-previously-known-as-Honda could be looking for to deliver an outstanding package in 2009.

Let's hope it happens. Who knows, Honda pulling out might be just what the team needs right now.

[peter]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

Loads of updates on the sites out there. If Fry is right hopefully we will not be down another team next season. Not a big jenson fan but this is not the way for him to go. I think he would be able to find a drive next season if he really wanted one but it may not be a top team. As for rubens I think the writing was on the wall already.

[Ian]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

Loads of updates on the sites out there. If Fry is right hopefully we will not be down another team next season. Not a big jenson fan but this is not the way for him to go. I think he would be able to find a drive next season if he really wanted one but it may not be a top team. As for rubens I think the writing was on the wall already.

Unless Rubens agrees a big pay cut, the logic would be to hire an up and coming youngster who is more interested in a race seat than a big salary.

I'll be very sad to see Rubens go, but he's had a marvelous career - if not the one many had originally predicted.

Ian

[JSR]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

It'll be a shame to see Rubens go, given that he seems to have spent the highlight of his career in the shadow of Schumacher. Would have been good to see him given the opportunity of going for wins.

http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=44714

I appreciate that Brawn has to sound like a saleman now, but to hear him describe the 2009 car as a "front-runner" indicates how much progress they've made. If we don't see that car in 2009 (albeit with a Ferrari engine), then that'll be very unfortunate.

If there is someone with the money, the Honda purchase would seem to be the best opportunity to get into F1 to come along for a long time.

I've been reading that the only available seat for 2009 at the moment is Toro Rosso. Is that right?

[peter]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

One name. Ok so it's two one for the owner one for the team.

Dave Richards and Prodrive. Bet good money he is one of the few honda are talking to. If this guy could be as good in F1 as he was in rallying look out. He has been there before so knows what it is all about. I would say if anyone really needs to worry at honda it should be Nick Fry.

[JSR]

Re: Honda set to announce F1 withdrawal

Here's why I like Button (beyond his driving, that is) -

http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=44722

No petty recriminations, no toys out of the pram, just saying it like it is. It's good that he's staying calm and looking for the positives for the sake of the team.

I'd hazard a guess that he might not have had this mature outlook just a few years ago. He could easily adopt the attitude "well, I have a contract, you break it and I want millions and kiss goodbye to the sport" but he doesn't and wouldn't do that.