Honda F1.

Well looks like Honda will be on the grid for the 09 season,seems the management buy out has been given the go ahead with Honda agreeing to put in $100 million dollars into the team next year instead of having to pay redundencies.

Also read that Button will take a $7.5 million paycut but at least he will be racing which has to be good for F1 overall.

looks like its confirmed Honda will continue next year - probably as Brawn Racing http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7911490.stm

So much for Richard "Look at me, I'm a c***" Branson. He almost ballsed that deal up completely with his faked interest.

Brawn GP

I've no idea why the "awn" is in Italics but it appears so on their logos.

Car looks very quick straight out of the box too. They may be running light to woo the sponsors though.

Would be nice if the car is competetive early on as having another team doing well is always going to be good for the sport and tv.

Well, they're definitely not running a KERS system yet, and that would account for about 25-40kg of weight. Whether they've replaced that lost weight with ballast yet is unknown though. They're certainly running normal type fuel loads though.

Will they have to run a KERS system when the season starts or can they just use ballast? also anyone got pics of there car on track yet.

They can just use ballast. Many teams are claiming to be planning to start the season without KERS.

They can just use ballast. Many teams are claiming to be planning to start the season without KERS.

I heard last year though that Honda's KERS system they were developing for this year was looking like it was the best of all the teams.

Maybe with so little testing time they see it as best to leave an untested item off the car.

I heard last year though that Honda's KERS system they were developing for this year was looking like it was the best of all the teams.

With "Honda" being the operative word mate. They were working on a vaccuum suspended flywheel, with awesome potential, but Honda binned the work and hold all the patents.

According to a quote from Sam Michael, William's chief engineer (or equivalent.) If things continue as they are Brawn GP will win at Australia by an entire lap.

Unbelievable.

Not unbelievable though if you'd been watching the sector times pop up all week. They're looking incredible. You may have noticed my post in the betting forum. The odds have tumbled today, unfortunately.

They've already knocked over a second off of the fastest lap at Barcelona last year.

No-one expected that did they!! He's about 2 and a half seconds quicker than Hamilton!

It's not only a fast car but the lap/sector times are brilliantly consistent with their fastest lap almost always being the last before a stop, showing great tyre wear characteristics too. It's possible that they're running underweight (it is with anyone) but it would be very foolish to do it with such limited testing time. I think we're going to have to accept that they will dominate like the Williams did in '96.

They might be pulling a fast one to attract sponsors! It's working though, they're getting a lot of publicity.

I would Laugh my ass off if Button won the WDC after Honda had pumped all that money in then bailed out 8 months earlier.

That's getting carried away, but I would love Jenson to be competitive again. I don't like Luigi as a person, even if he is a great driver. If he won a few races it would kick more ass than two millipedes having an a*se kicking competition.

Not unbelievable though if you'd been watching the sector times pop up all week. They're looking incredible. You may have noticed my post in the betting forum. The odds have tumbled today, unfortunately.

 

They've already knocked over a second off of the fastest lap at Barcelona last year.

I did see your post mate, frankly though, I am still in disbelief. I really hope that Jenson and Rubens finally have the cars to show their own way, but the cynic in me cannot bring myself to believe.

I've always thought Jenson was one of the better drivers in the WDC. He has a very smooth driving style and is a joy to watch with a decent car under him. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good season for the team.

I have not seen any reports on them in recent days are they really that much quicker than everyone else?

If they are just doing the running under weight bit to look fast,some of the other lesser teams must be doing the same so are there any other teams that stand out.

I have not seen any reports on them in recent days are they really that much quicker than everyone else?

If they are just doing the running under weight bit to look fast,some of the other lesser teams must be doing the same so are there any other teams that stand out.

James Allen (despite being a poor commentator the guy knows his stuff) is detailed in this article:

James Allen has urged F1 fans to 'put your money on Brawn for Melbourne win' and declared that 'it's official' that Brawn GP boast 'the fastest car in the F1 field' ahead of the new season.

According to Allen, the former ITV commentator, 'The Barcelona test, which finished on Thursday, could well go down as one of the most remarkable events in recent F1 history' as the back-from-the-dead rebranded Honda outfit 'showed that it is faster over the race distance than the Ferrari!'

Writing for his official website, JamesAllenonF1, he continued in an apparent tone of giddiness: 'It looks very much as though the battle for victory in Melbourne will be between Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, as long as the car lasts the distance.

'If you make a direct comparison between the race distance runs of Massa and Button on Wednesday and Barrichello on Thursday you see that Jenson does 19 laps below 1m 21, Barrichello does 14, while Massa manages just 2!

'What is even more impressive is that on the 19th lap of his 20 lap first stint Rubens does a 1m 19.971 - startling proof that the Brawn looks after its tyres very well over a long run. The team really are in amazing shape! In contrast the Ferrari's lap times tail off into the 1m 22s at the end of the 20 lap stints.'

Massa has subsequently admitted that, regardless of the teams' respective fuel levels, Ferrari simply could not match the pace displayed by Brawn GP to top the timesheets in Melbourne.

If the car stays as fast as it's looked then it boads well for the coming season,it's about time Jenson had a good team and looks like his loyalty will be rewarded.

Have to admit when it looked like Honda would pull out Ross Brawn must have had words about how good they thought the car could be to keep Button from taking another drive in F1 or a different series.

Word of mouth, friend of friend, bloke in a taxi etc etc...

well , I understand that Honda/Brawn are to reveal a new livery which will reveal the real money man behind the takeover.

I've always thought Jenson was one of the better drivers in the WDC. He has a very smooth driving style and is a joy to watch with a decent car under him. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good season for the team.

Total agreement from me. His brilliant drive in Hungary in 2006 to win from 12th (I think) showed what a talent he has.

I've always liked Jenson and I was so annoyed (though not at all surprised) at the fickle nature of the british fans when I went to Silverstone in 2007. When the drivers did their parade, Hamilton got a massive roar from the crowd but Jenson, who had been the darling of the british fans for a few years prior to the arrival of this little upstart, barely got a whimper.

I will be smiling from ear to ear if he beats Hamilton in the WDC this season. He has always been one of the best drivers on the grid ever since he entered the series. Now it looks as though he finally has the hardware to really shine and he thoroughly deserves it.

He was a bit of a git about contracts during the Renault, Williams, Honda fiasco, and nobody here has much of a good word to say about him... I don't know him though.

He was a bit of a git about contracts during the Renault, Williams, Honda fiasco, and nobody here has much of a good word to say about him... I don't know him though.

I've met him, he is an arrogant tit. Although as he is british I wish him well this season. I have a few quid on Brawn.