Honda looking to sell

[Craig.]

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21017.html

First to go possibly. Not a surprise, while other teams including STR and Midland/spyker/jordan/force india/teletubbies on wheels, have moved forward even on a restricted budget, this teams gone backwards faster than I can remember any team falling. On the plus side, this could give a great opportunity for Ross Brawn, Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher to own a team like they were rumored to be looking at. Get Rory Byrne onboard for designing the car and you could easily be looking at a team to rise quickly.

[C]

Maybe Honda should do what they are good at, and look to a chassis developer to form a partnership to supply engines to (no guessing which one I'm on about - they had a fairly succussful partnership before about 21 years ago!).

[expat]

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21017.html

First to go possibly. Not a surprise, while other teams including STR and Midland/spyker/jordan/force india/teletubbies on wheels, have moved forward even on a restricted budget, this teams gone backwards faster than I can remember any team falling. On the plus side, this could give a great opportunity for Ross Brawn, Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher to own a team like they were rumored to be looking at. Get Rory Byrne onboard for designing the car and you could easily be looking at a team to rise quickly.

Not a surprise, to be fair, as they have just said, it is hard to justify

[Craig.]

Interesting bit from James Allens report on this

I understand that the package being put up for sale does not involve the potential new owner running Honda engines but instead involves Ferrari engines, a deal which one imagines Ross Brawn would have put together.

Furthers my theory. Certainly if they get Jean Todt on to replace that idiot Nick Fry.

Something I didn't think into, how much will this mess the drivers market up. Jenson has two chances, a seat at str or Force India. Niether though for obvious reasons have given it thought, so Button could find himself out of a drive next year.
Could Flavio buy Piquet out of his Renault contract as I believe he's still Buttons manager, and give him another chance at renault.

[expat]

Could Flavio buy Piquet out of his Renault contract as I believe he's still Buttons manager, and give him another chance at renault.

It was a season of all or nothing for Piquet, with lots of nothing. In the bigger picture of F1 finance, buying him out to get Button in would be quite a cheap move. As for Button, I never did understand his passion for Honda. As you said, they have gone backwards (or been left behind) quite quickly over the last couple of seasons. As for the dream team taking over, I think that Schumacher will give it a miss. When you look back over the history of F1, how many former champions have managed to then produce a champion team. Most, if not all have tried for a few years and then thrown the hat in. Schumacher is a very scrude businessman and would not want a big F1 failure on his CV.

Matt

[C]

Could Flavio buy Piquet out of his Renault contract as I believe he's still Buttons manager, and give him another chance at renault.

It was a season of all or nothing for Piquet, with lots of nothing. In the bigger picture of F1 finance, buying him out to get Button in would be quite a cheap move. As for Button, I never did understand his passion for Honda.

Honda's chequebook?

Seems a shame, particularly as following this morning's reports the question mark can be removed from the title of the thread. Not surprising though. Honda are closing their Swindon factory (producing Civics and CRVs) in Feb/March for a month or so.

[Craig.]

I wont lie, I really couldn't care that they are gone.
 I feel bad for Jeson having signed his contract, but in the end if your spending as much as the top 4 teams and finishing last, while putting an ugly beast of a machine on track, why bother?

As C has said, they should focus on supplying the engine for a team who does a better job of building cars.

[C]

As C has said, they should focus on supplying the engine for a team who does a better job of building cars.

Sadly of course, nearly all those people have gone. The irony of course is that Honda occupy the former factory of a chassis builder who dominated F3000 and CART in the late 80s to mid 90s - Reynard.

[C]

As an aside, you have wonder what the wisdom was behind running a sponsorless car?

[Craig.]

Thats why I dont think Toyota will be as quick to leave. They have a huge partnership with Panasonic, including supplying the batteries for KERS.

[C]

Thats why I dont think Toyota will be as quick to leave. They have a huge partnership with Panasonic, including supplying the batteries for KERS.

And still have an engine supply deal to help subsidise their effort.

[The Ruptured Duck]

makes me think twice about standard engines :-/

[C]

makes me think twice about standard engines :-/

They don't need standard engines, they just need engines designed to last more than two races. They also need to encourage more 3rd party engine development. Sadly in the last 5 years, the FIA and Bernie managed to completely alieanate and dispatch Ford/Cosworth (who, remember, are the most succuessful engine manufacturer in the sport's history) to the realms of F1 history. And as an idea of how "cheap" it could be, the Cosworth used the same basic engine for about 20 years from about 1968 to 1988. That's how you cut development costs for less well off teams.

[Craig.]

well like I upset the autosport forums. I really dont understand the love for cosworth. They had poor power and reliability for a good portion of the last run they made.
But they are now the company moesly has given the contract to for the single engine/ cheap alternative supplier.