Honda F1 in trouble, and withdraw from F1

[xpensive]

Whatever Fry's masterplan was, it backfired badly. My guess is that it included Brawn as well as Alonso, but Honda got cold feet when the latter didn't materialize and used the economic slump to pull the plug, finally realizing they had been taken for a looong ride. Paying off Williams to have Button's contract, imagine that?
In all honesty, I am not so certain Honda really wants to see the team survive to embarrass themselves even more, when it might still be looked upon as a Honda outfit.

[pjobmathew]

I personally wouldn't like to see something like 'Virgin Motorsports'
No,not because it sounds sick but because what I gather from his statements ( if they are his ) indicates that he is more interested in the money . Wait , I don't mean that you shouldn't make money . But you shouldn't get into F1 just to make money.
This is one reason i hate Force India . I don't see anything 'Indian ' associated with the team ( being an Indian myself).

[Chaparral]

I personally wouldn't like to see something like 'Virgin Motorsports'
No,not because it sounds sick but because what I gather from his statements ( if they are his ) indicates that he is more interested in the money . Wait , I don't mean that you shouldn't make money . But you shouldn't get into F1 just to make money.
This is one reason i hate Force India . I don't see anything 'Indian ' associated with the team ( being an Indian myself).

So Kingfisher Airlines isnt an Indian company?? do some research before you make statements like that

I met Branson a few times back in the 80's early 90's - (I spent 30 years in the record industry fyi) - he's a very astute and switched on business man - yes there has to be value in the dollar spent with Branson that's for sure like any normal person would require.................

[pjobmathew]

Everyone knows that Vijay Mallaya owns Force India.
What else is Indian about it Maybe nothing except India in the name . A very small proportion of people in India care about F1 . So it is clearly put there to attract Indians rather more than anything else .

yes there has to be value in the dollar spent with Branson that's for sure like any normal person would require.................

I mentioned in my earlier post that money is to be made , I'd be crazy to say no . But passion for the sport has to remain . The day when money is placed above sport , the sport dies .

[Giblet]

Just like hockey in Canada, F1 will never surpass cricket in India.

But there is a niche market of F1 fans in Canada, and they are just as hardcore as the hockey fan next to them about their respective sports.

Canada with only ~33 million people managed to hold a race since the 60's.

If India develops a niche market out of ~1.1 billion, there is no reason to assume a large F1 market can be there.

As for Branson, and more along the lines of alternative fuels, there should be a provision in the rules.

Much similar to the former rule that a motor can be 3 litres N.A. or 1.5 forced induction, a new "low ball" rule that allows for alternative motor/fuel technology.

Maybe if a team was allowed to have as much electric power as they want, so long as every hp gained from the electric was taken away from the motor in capacity. So if a car had 700hp, and the electric system applied 350hp, the gas motor would now be a 1.2 litre four cylinder. THe challenge to the teams would be how to keep it under weight. Batteries just weigh more then fuel does, but with billionaires playing who have already had a commercial jet run on biofuel from coconuts there might be some merit to this idea.

The rule for 1.5l forced induction motors was in the rules in 1966 but wasn't tried until Renault banged one out in 1977.

I say let Sir Richard attempt to influence the sport in a positive way.

[Professor]

Things don't look good for a buyout. Today, after a board eeting in Tokyo, Honda's Takeo Fukui said, "There are various offers for the team but we have not seen any serious buyer yet," Fukui was quoted as saying by Reuters. "We find the sale process difficult."

So, it may well be over. Mercedes had declared a deadline of "close of business" today for a deal.

And, so it goes.

[xpensive]

There you are, today you can't sell a fully-fledged F1 team located in Grand Prix heartland for one GBP?
Guess I don't have to worry about that balaclava-party after all?

[jddh1]

Things don't look good for a buyout. Today, after a board eeting in Tokyo, Honda's Takeo Fukui said, "There are various offers for the team but we have not seen any serious buyer yet," Fukui was quoted as saying by Reuters. "We find the sale process difficult."

So, it may well be over. Mercedes had declared a deadline of "close of business" today for a deal.

And, so it goes.

That deadline is for the Benz engines. If that doesn't work out, I'm sure they can find another supplier for the season. Let's face it, this team will be "poop" for the entire season. What does it matter if it has Merc or Ferrari or Renault or even Toyota engines? They'll suck even if they install a jet engine back there.

[donskar]

Bernie Headstone does it again:

While also saying that if it were a big team the likes of Ferrari or McLaren in Honda's shoes people would be more surprised and doubt the sport, "But I don't think that will be the case with Honda. They didn't do too much last year, did they?"

I guess McLaren is a bigger name worldwide than Honda . . .

His attitude will:

A) Encourage major companies from entering F1 in any capacity
B) Discourage major companies from entering F1 in any capacity

And he does not consider Honda a "big team" but Ferrari and McLaren are?

I suggest a new thread: "Who should play Bernie Ecclestone in a movie about F1?"

I'm torn between Graham Chapman and John Cleese.

[jddh1]

And he does not consider Honda a "big team" but Ferrari and McLaren are?

As far as F1 goes, i will have to agree with him on this one. even though Honda has been in F1 in various ways for long periods of time, they have never been as committed as Ferrari, Macca and even Williams to the sport.

I suggest a new thread: "Who should play Bernie Ecclestone in a movie about F1?"

Mr. Bean

[Motley]

I'm torn between Graham Chapman and John Cleese.

Bernie Ecclestone = 5' 2½" (1.59 M)

John Cleese = 6' 4¾" (1.95 M)

Slight height discrepancy but nothing that they couldn't work around...

I do enjoy the idea of casting Graham Chapman though, he'd be a dead-ringer for Bernie as he's been dead for twenty years...

[ClioSport197]

I just heard on the local news that a deal may be signed within hours...

[oj1983]

Nothing more than that?!

There must be some more info with it?

[jon-mullen]

Dustin Hoffman. Small, lot of hair, history of playing characters with mental deficiencies.

[ClioSport197]

Nothing more than that?!

There must be some more info with it?

No, they just mentioned about Honda saying there were no serious buyers. I guess they are just going off the fact that a deal needs to be done soon with regards to the McLaren drivetrain.