Finally we have news on Honda Racing. It’s taken a fair bit of time, with rumours of various buyouts including a Richard Branson/Virgin takeover, but finally Ross Brawn released a statement at midnight last night to say that the team has reached an agreement to secure its future.
The former Honda team principal has now received full ownership of Honda Racing F1 and has renamed the squad as the Brawn GP Formula One Team. What’s more, both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will return as drivers – which has put an end to Bruno Senna’s dreams of racing in F1 in 2009 – and the team has agreed a partnership with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines to supply the power plant for the first ever Brawn GP car, whose colours are rumoured to be yellow, black and white.
“I am delighted that Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will form our race driver line-up for the 2009 season,” said Brawn. “The vast experience and knowledge that both drivers bring to our team will prove invaluable as we aim to get up to speed to be ready for the first race of the season in Melbourne on March 29. In what will be their fourth season together, their experience with our team in Brackley, our systems and our engineers will prove a real asset.
“The past few months have been extremely challenging for the team,” Brawn continued. “But today’s announcement is a very pleasing conclusion to the strenuous efforts that have been made to secure its future.”
It certainly is a welcome announcement, not just for Formula 1 fans, but also for the likes of Bernie Ecclestone who was perilously close to the minimum number of cars that contractually he has to field. The fact that Brawn thanked so many people and organisations in the statement goes to show just how much help he has had in getting the Brackley-based team back on the track. “I would like to express particular appreciation for the support we have received from Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, the FIA, FOM, FOTA, (UK business organisation) BERR, Bridgestone, our other team partners and our many fans the world over.”
A very heartfelt congratulations to everyone involved from Motor Sport, and especially myself, as only a matter of six months ago I placed a rather optimistic bet that Honda would be fighting for the World Championship in 2009…
Congratulations indeed. Hopefully they will be able to shake this car (which by most accounts should have been a race winner) down and bring it up to speed.
Let’s hope so Ales. It’s such a shame – after forgetting about their 2008 campaign to concentrate on their 2009 challenger – that they’ve lost the advantage. I can’t help but wonder whether Button and Barrichello are going to be hungry enough to really push the car up the grid. A certain Signor Alonso is the kind of driver you want in a car like this…
Time will tell. Fingers crossed that my £10 isn’t down the drain already. Wishful thinking I fear.
I’m just happy this story is over.
I hope RB is able to keep showing those unblemished phoenix credentials and make this right.
21 days to go!
For what it’s worth, and you will decide, I am quite sure that Ross Brawn has not forgotten how to win races. I also believe that he will have a better chance of success without Honda. Not because I have any doubts about Honda, but because I think Ross Brawn will be able to apply his considerable intelligence and cunning more fully without the inevitable restrictions of working with a major Japanese manufacturer that is currently suffering from the global economic crisis.
Jenson Button has not forgotten how to race and he has buckets of natural talent. This new team will be competitive – not anywhere near immediately – but it will be. Subject to funding, of course, but that applies to every business right now.
I am pretty sure that Ross Brawn would not have done this deal if he thought he was going to make up the numbers.
RW
Congratulations to all at Brawn GP F1. Absolutely superb to know that Jenson and Rubens will be racing in 2009. Now it’s not normally the thing to have something straight out of the box to be a leader . . . but where are they today? At the pointy end. FANTASTIC keep up the good work. Cannot wait for more results like the 2006 Hungarian race.
CB
I do think Mr. Foster will be 10 quid short at the end of 09′s championship, but if the car’s pace is like the one shown on the first day of practice at Barcelona, then it won’t be such an open and shut case.
I know it’s dangerous to read too much into practice times, but you can’t help but root for an underdog with this pedigree.
FANTASTIC NEWS.I CONSIDER RB TO BE A BRILLIANT THINKER AS WELL AS RACE ENGINEER,GIVEN THE TIME I’M SURE THE RESULTS WILL COME.GOOD LOGIC IN USEING A EUROPEAN ENGINE MANUFACTURER.AT LEAST THEY TEND TO LISTEN!
There is no doubt that Brawn’s new team will have much support, especially in the UK where we all seem to love the underdog.
But is it the underdog? Brawn is a very clever chap, Button is a very talented driver, and you can never discount Barrichello on his day.
This car has been in development for nearly a year now. It is said that they long ago gave up on the 2008 car, realising it was not going anywhere, and so set about building for 2009.
Were they running light? Is it all down to the front wing? Certainly, the front wing looks very interesting with lots of intricate aerodynamics. Or is the car just quick staright out of the blocks?
We shall learn more at Jerez next week. It would, in many ways, be silly for any team not to test in “proper” trim because there is no more testing allowed once the season gets underway. What you learn this month is what you learn, then it’s into the race schedule.
This answers no questions. But it raises many exciting prospects for the year ahead.
RW
Am I right in thinking that Jenson has been faster than Lewis in recent testing at Jerez? And……that McLaren are not happy with their 2009 car? Could make for an interesting year and, of course, give Jenson that long-awaited chance to show us all how good he really is. The best of luck to the Brawn team – I’m sure there will be lots of us rooting for them!
Dave – Jenson looks to have been the fastest over the 4 days at Jerez – I reckon he has been the only one below 1 min 18 sec (yesterday). Kovalainen got within 4 tenths of that today.
Those who are in real trouble and those who have been sandbagging will be revealed on Friday week in Oz. Not long to go, can’t wait !