Brawn GP takes Honda F1’s place on the 2009 F1 grid

[MP4/4#12]

Button is the third highest paid driver in F1 , will he Join STR ?

The grid is often the best indication of the health of a series
The FIA reacts :
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_ ... t_id=36687

Couldn`t agree more. Look at the grid of Motogp and WSBK for a quick example.
I though about all this economical crisis impact on f1 some time ago and the team i kept thinking it could retire was Toyota not sure why, but it`s a shame for the sport anyway. 400 millions a year ?!? no sponsors, earth layout.....Something must change, a new team is almost impossible to create, and it seems there`s no interest from anyone to do it, it`s not a sport/business anymore, if a manufacturer like Honda can`t stand it, for a private(s) investor it`s just suicide to spend millions for 2 or 3 seasons fighting for the last place of the grid and then anounce it`s all for sale

If Button doesnt get a car for next year i wouldnt be surprised.

[iceman1]

If Button doesnt get a car for next year i wouldnt be surprised.

DC might be able to provide him a good link to Dietrich Mateschitz to help the deal through , we should be more concerned with the 800+ employees than a millionaire

but will Honda continue their competitions on their site ?

[phil1993]

The Sale of cars is 36.8% lower than this time last year

[blizzard]

Well, shocking news....but 2 things:

1. I have the feeling, Honda are using the financial crisis as an excuse to pull out of F1, because they were mediocre in 2006 and very unsuccessful in 2007 and 2008 and it cost them millions, which were basically wasted. So they might have taken "the chance" to leave now and use the economic crisis as an excuse.
Would have been better for the sport, if BAR was never bought by Honda. They were better in both departments, sporting (2nd in the wcc) and financial (lucky strike deal).


2. What is the reason, F1 became so horribly expensive? I remember back in the mid 90´s teams like Minardi or Tyrrell were competing, without getting bankrupt, and the rules were much more "cost intensive" back then, e.g. 1 engine for qualifying and race each, T-cars and so on. I can´t understand it. A 26 car field would be fantastic like it was back in the 80´s and early 90´s.

[phil1993]

and the financial crisis in the early 90s was worse wasn't it?

[TheViewer]

I don't know much about the how much things cost in the past but costs must have really risen recently, for example in the early 90s there were teams like Andrea Moda who built their cars yet could still afford to enter into F1. A really big problem with the sport is that the manufacturers have too much money to invest, thus squeezing out the smaller teams on performance, yet they are unstable and are not in F1 for 'sport', they are in because they want to sell cars.

[Haukinen]

I read, that the global recession is danger to some other manufacters. Such as BMW, Toyota, Renault, Mercedes-Benz and even Ferrari!

[phil1993]

There are apparently 3 bidders

Mosely: "Its very sad as they have had a huge participation with success throughout the years, in and out [when they were with McLaren etc]. F1 can survive with 18 cars, if it gets down to 14 it gets dodgy"

Also, I heard that under the Concorde Agreement, if there are 18 cars or less, teams can enter 3 cars

[Earth]

I was shocked when i see honda leave F1 :sad:

[phil1993]

Mosely: 'Car manufacters will look at their budget and see F1 and cross it of their list'
Jordan: 'They just lost their way'
Button (talking to Honda mechanics, wearing plain shirt): 'I found out the same time, so it just a shock and the first couple of hours was painful but after that i was positive and i spoke to Ross and a few others and there are positives and we need to stay positive as one team as if we're not, who is going to be interested in taking over?

[BMWSauber5]

I feel very sorry for i dont know how many people at Honda, Ross Brawn, comes back to F1, might put Honda up front, and also the 09 drivers, without a drive, but not Button, I reckon what caused this was the lack of viewed sponsorship on the cars, if they didnt run that EARTHDREAMS livery, they might not have pulled out.

But sorry to hear that Honda's leaving, 18 cars now will turn up at Melbourne

[kimi and mika]

the 3 cars a team thing sounds good...and expensive. Sad Honda have gone...18 cars isn't enough. In the 90's the were so many cars and now there are only 9 teams.

I have found a way to save money:

- One car per team
- Two drivers, one steers and one has the pedals.

[phil1993]

Ecclestone: 'Some of these people that run the teams should be managing races on playstations rather than in F1'

[iceman1]

BRACKLEY, England: Race driver Jenson Button urged workers at Honda's Formula One team headquarters to remain positive about the team's future on Friday, hours after the Japanese automaker quit the sport blaming the global economic crisis.

The British driver visited the team base in Brackley, central England, where some 700 jobs — including his — could be lost if the team doesn't succeed in finding a buyer.

"It was as much a shock for me as it was for anyone else," Button told mechanics in the workshop. "The first couple of hours were the most painful, but after that I thought, 'What is the point of being down and trying to look at every reason for it. It's not going to change.'"

After hearing from three prospective buyers, Honda F1 chief executive Nick Fry believes that Button and fellow driver Rubens Barrichello will be on the starting grid at the 2009 season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 29.

"We need to stay positive ourselves and as one team because if we are not, no one will be interested in taking it over," Button said in the market town close to the Silverstone grand prix circuit.

[HandoZiZle]

We might as well put all of the drivers in GP2 cars now