Saturday, December 13, 2008

Honda quits F1

As noted last week, the Honda Motor Company dropped another bombshell on the F1 community by announcing that it will close down the Brackley based operation if a new suitor isn’t found within the next three months.

James Allen:
“This is a major moment for the sport and I imagine Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley will be ringing around frantically this evening (last Thursday) ensuring that the remaining teams are solid.
Toyota are the ones most are nervous about. They may use the withdrawal of their major rival as an excuse to get out, should they feel the conditions demand it.”

(Source: ITV-F1.com)

James Allen: on Honda’s F1 future

Thus, Rubens Barrichello’s revelations that former employer Ferrari did indeed instruct him to render the lead to Michael Schumacher in the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, which led to the ridiculous “NO Team Orders in F1” rule revision, seems a bit tepid at the moment. But then again, look on the bright side Rubino, at least you didn’t just sign a contract extension with the Honda F1 team like poor “Jense” just did...

Then again, this probably won’t help his marginal chances of remaining with whoever the new concern is, if they’re “Powered by Ferrari,” eh?

Barrichello spills the beans on ’02 Austria GP