Honda pulling out of F1

Apparently - according to report on Radio 5 Live :shock:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUKTRE4B37AS20081204

Bloody hell.

It will probably sell ok, there's a wealth of talent there, but it's a ****ty time of year to get news like that for the factory boys. Is it karmic merit for them pulling the same stunt on Aguri last Christmas?

Hmm, well there was a big rumour not so long ago, that a big player was going to pull out of F1. Didn't think it would be Honda though. In fact, I thought your people at Renault might call it a day, Ponty. Perhaps Honda will now concentrate their efforts on MotoGP now, because they've been playing second fiddle there for 2 seasons as well. They are, in all honesty, the premier motorcycle manufacturer in the world. It's probably time they reflected it.

I thought Toyota might be the first to go tbh StL. Renault have just invested £50m in the new fluid dynamics centre and not a few bob doing up the wind tunnel.

As much as i have sympathy for the team members and factory boys...I'll be glad to see the back of them and all the other manufacturers that took over and i my view, destroyed the sport

Restrict F1 to independent teams, all using the same engine with big slick tires, stick shift gear boxes and give the engineers a little room in the regulations express their selves and i might start watching again

As much as i have sympathy for the team members and factory boys...I'll be glad to see the back of them and all the other manufacturers that took over and i my view, destroyed the sport

 

Restrict F1 to independent teams, all using the same engine with big slick tires, stick shift gear boxes and give the engineers a little room in the regulations express their selves and i might start watching again

Try GP2 if you want a spec series..

Honda are also pulling out of F4SA after next year - well considerably reduced funding anyway...

Bloody hell, just seen the story on SSN, and now this - bit of a shock to say the least.

To an extent St George is correct and cutting costs is obviously Max's point.

If Honda have gone then others can follow.

Then Ferrari etc will have to toe the line and make the sport more competitive. Unless they want a grid of 10 cars.

Is Honda a surprise to you Ponty?

Well yes, they're one of the strongest companies in the world. I'd imagine there's as much an element of intolerance of failure as credit problems though.

I would've put money on Toyota being the first to jump and Honda being one of the last.

I must admit that although the world financial position is a valid reason I feel that failing to win

is the more likely reason, Asians don't like to lose face and many years ago Honda used to

boast about their motorcycle racers by saying "Honda enters, Honda wins"

Well yes, they're one of the strongest companies in the world. I'd imagine there's as much an element of intolerance of failure as credit problems though.

 

I would've put money on Toyota being the first to jump and Honda being one of the last.

Agree with you on Honda, but Toyota aren't exactly small beer, and they've been more successful in F1 on the team/car side.

As we know, it isn't compulsory for any motor manufacturer to be involved in F1. Honda are a highly successful business, and along with Toyota, produce the most reliable, [and hence possibly best designed] volume produced, vehicles in the world. If anything, their F1 exploits have detracted from their overall good reputation. Now that they have gone, and we'll no longer see the Honda name, I wonder how long it will be before Toyota consider their position..? However, they don't have a huge pedigree in motorcycle racing, so perhaps they'll stay. Are there any more companies considering leaving F1 at present..?

This makes interesting reading, if only to see Bernie Ecclestone making some rather silly quotes. But Mosley appears to be making some sense:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7766628.stm

Bernie Ecclestone - I've no doubt Honda would have been in top four next year without any problems..

Presumably, in a parallel universe.

Now if you bought Honda's F1 team is there a car already designed for next year now i know Honda wouldn't supply engines for it but would another manufacturers engine be ok with a bit of rework,or would the chassis just be scrap now.

Also wonder where Button will go now.

Renault will be the next gone.

Now if you bought Honda's F1 team is there a car already designed for next year now i know Honda wouldn't supply engines for it but would another manufacturers engine be ok with a bit of rework,or would the chassis just be scrap now.

 

Also wonder where Button will go now.

As far as I know, all the indications were that Honda's development for next year's car was going very well because they basically gave up on this season's car and put all their effort into R&D for next season. Their KERS system is apparently very good. So the infrastructure is there for someone to buy a ready-made team that would be capable of competing pretty well with the rest of the field.

Not sure what Button will do though if they don't find a buyer. Does anyone know if all the other teams confirmed have their driver lineups for next year yet? Ponty?????

Also wonder where Button will go now.

On my shirt.

:smt113

 

Also wonder where Button will go now.

I'm sure someone will find a hole for him

Jaguar to buy the team, re-enter F1 and Jenson to be WDC next year.

I can still dream...

Try GP2 if you want a spec series..

I'd prefer to have 'racers' back running F1...Team owners like Frank Williams, with racing in their blood ......The current band of manufacturers, who are only in it for corporate image and volume car sales can take a hike as far as I'm concerned

Hell, i can remember the days when even Ferrari were only building their road cars to fund their racing....Now they're just a glorified sales arm of Fiat

As for spec racing....Give me F3 and A1 GP any day.....Had some fantastic days watching the young guns of F3 at Brands and Thruxton.......Was keeping an eye on Button well before most people had even heard of him......But the one driver in the last 15 years or so to really set Brands alight was Narain Karthikeyan....Had him pegged for F1 almost on the spot after seeing his first 2 races F3, the kid's a real racer...No surprise that Frank's retained him at Williams

Honda are prolly only trying to pull the same stunt as Ferrari back in the early 90's....They spat their dummy out and threatened pull out of F1 if they didn't start to win races....and then received unmitigated assistance from the FIA for the next decade and a half

Current leading rumour is Dave Richards will buy the team and run it as Prodrive F1.

Current leading rumour is Dave Richards will buy the team and run it as Prodrive F1.

Which would be somewhat ironic seeing as Dave Richards was in charge of the BAR team that was taken over by Honda. Would be good to see though. He is a man with racing in his blood and has a lot of F1 experience.

Also that Red Bull Racing are likely to leave too, which would explain why they have bought STR out from Gerhard Berger/Berger Motorsport (it makes it easier to sell the whole concern in a giant job lot).

Worrying times.