Honda to pull out of F1?

Sad but not surprising considering their performance in recent years.
 
If they do pull out of F1, the reason will not be based on cost. They will use "cost" as their excuse but the true reason will be lack of performance.

I think Ross Brown will get to have 2009 to show if they are salvageable.

I find it interesting to read the last sentence, "...and would leave drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello without seats."

Ruben is already out as of end of the 2008 season, the article is posted today. That little phrase alone tells me that who ever wrote this article is slightly out of touch.
 
Honda is expected to make the bombshell announcement on Friday morning that it is pulling out of Formula 1.
We'll clearly know more in the morning ...

Sources close to itv.com/f1 understand that the Brackley-based squad will be put up for sale with immediate effect and that if no buyer is found by March then the team will be closed.


While no official announcement on the future of Honda’s F1 programme has yet been made by the Japanese manufacturer squad and the team’s press officers were unavailable for comment, it is understood the squad's workforce was addressed by team principal Ross Brawn on Thursday evening to explain the situation.


Confirmation of its F1 exit plans is expected to be made by Honda on Friday morning in Japan.
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I wonder if this will pull the plug on the new supercar .. no F1 success to launch on the back of ... it would take a brave compnay to launch a supercar in the current global climate where established brands such as Aston are £30-40k below list!
 
If true it will be a sad season for me:frown: No matter how mediocre thier performance at least I had a clear favorite to cheer for.:frown:
 
Doesn't look like Brawn is going to be given the chance it is reported he already addressed the team in Backely earlier. I think it is a combination of lack of performance and cost. I'm sure they do numerous cost-benefit-analysis throughout the year, and considering they are out spending every other team, what is the benefit in being the back marker and in all honesty the laughing stock of the paddock the past 2 seasons? This goes right down to the bottom line, and I think they are just cutting their losses.

My guess is that this will be the opening salvo to Berni and Max to force ahead the much needed, and demanded cost cutting measures almost everyone associated in the sport has called for, save maybe Ferrari. This could lead to a huge sea change in F1.

Honda's departure could easily tempt others such as rival Toyota to leave, and no one ever thought Renault was in it for the long haul either. With car sales for everyone down at least 25% in the 2 months when compared to last year, the manufactures may not be too keen on spending $300USD million for what is basically marketing.

Plus Honda has always been fickle about racing in F1...
James Allen of ITV-F1.com said:
Honda has its car factories in Japan working part-time shifts, owing to the collapse in the automobile sales market and clearly the management feel that they can no longer justify spending up to £200 million a year on F1, even if cost-cutting measures are in the pipeline...

The Japanese firm recently cut its road car production in both Japan and Europe, including a 50-day shutdown at its Swindon plant early next year, and its US sales last month fell 32%...

Speculation in recent days suggested it was now turning its cost-cutting attention to its F1 project, although a complete exit from the sport was not an anticipated move...

The Financial Times newspaper recently wrote that [Honda] was the highest spending of the F1 outfits and had got through £147 million in 2007, about £40 million more than McLaren...

Honda has a track record of sudden withdrawals, pulling out of Williams in 1987 to switch to McLaren and then withdrawing from F1 altogether in 1992... itv-f1.com
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Spending ~$80USD million more in 2007 than McLaren, where there were the permanent back marker, easily the worst team in F1 that year, is no way to run a racing program. And they can't use Toyota's excuse of Germany's labor laws for their spending practices.

Senninha said:
I wonder if this will pull the plug on the new supercar .. no F1 success to launch on the back of ... it would take a brave compnay to launch a supercar in the current global climate where established brands such as Aston are £30-40k below list!
Click to expand...
You bring up a very good point. I think a lot of that will weight on whether Toyota brings the LF-A to market, since Honda has pretty much followed what they have done, cylinder numbers, layout, etc...
 
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Meh if Honda leaves, so does my interest in F1. Like metioned by others above, no one to cheer for. This may start a domino effect and F1 will end up like NASCAR (except with more right turns :wink:) In that you will be down to a few manufacturers. Where is the fun in that?

2 cents.
 
It is really sad news but there performance in the last couple of years has been an extremely poor. It is difficult to justify the F1 program during such hard times.
 
I'm kinda glad. Their peformance ever since they started supporting BAR and then took it over has been nothing short of absymmal. Which company, outside of Ferrari, would want to support that kind of utter failure? And the way, the FIA has handled the last couple years of F1 and a future of engine equalization? Meh...F1 is more and more inconsequential.

Next couple years for motorsports in general is going to suck. Audi pulled out of their whole motorsports program except for a couple of races. At least, Audi can rest their hat on a dominant experience. Honda? Just endless seasons of suck.
 
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Vancehu said:
If they do pull out of F1, the reason will not be based on cost. They will use "cost" as their excuse but the true reason will be lack of performance.
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+1 but on the other hand it's hard to justify a $300 toy with poor marketing results (does Honda have to spread all over the world anymore that they exist?) while in the meanwhile the production of consumer cars is stopped temporarly with workers getting lower wages during this time or even loosing their job?
 
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G .....
WOW .. really .... wow ...

Give up on Honda, seriously ... we live in the past ... old glory ... I am sad
Oscar
 
Look at the bright side. We drive a pc of Honda F1 (championship) history in the NSX. :smile: And not a car based on the failures of the past few years in F1.
 
Vancehu said:
If they do pull out of F1, the reason will not be based on cost. They will use "cost" as their excuse but the true reason will be lack of performance.
Click to expand...

I think cost is a major issue - Honda F1 doesn't have the biggest budget but Honda has the biggest "cost" of any F1 player. While Ferrari and Toyota and other manufacturer teams have larger budgets, they also have sponsors. Ferrari F1 actually turns a profit, as does McLaren F1. Honda F1 has no sponsors and therefore Honda pays the entire tab.
 
This is not really a surprise to me based mostly on their performance over the past years. As for having no clear favorite to root for? Although I love my Honda and I love an underdog, Honda has been such a back-marker for so long that I have frankly been embarrassed to be in their corner.

Ross Braun will find plenty of work on other teams in F1.
 
Re: Blame the homeland corporate management

Honda F1 has no sponsors and therefore Honda pays the entire tab.
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I think that right there is a blatant example of the bad decisions handed down from the disconnected ivory tower management in Japan; way out of touch with the team in England. We've talked about this for a long time. :mad:
 
Honda F1 had a sponsor and it was Honda exclusively. That was their choice. So instead of losing a bit of money (subjectively) or possibly being profitable (like Macca and Fezza), they took an entire bath (so-to-speak).

At first I wasn't so pissed off about it but now that I think about it more, I can't believe the incredible stupidity of Honda that put them in this position.

Since they've already sunk so much time and effort into the 09 season by sacrificing the 08 season, they should have stuck to at least supporting the team (with a much smaller budget) in '09. This is their best chance at the championship and they're pissing it all away.
 
ChopsJazz said:
I'm a little curious what will become of the 22-car rule. I'll bet Bernie will find it very difficult to find another team and field 22 cars this year.
Click to expand...

Maybe his wife can field the Honda team. She can probably do it for several years as an exclusive sponsor. ;)
 
Ponyboy said:
Honda F1 had a sponsor and it was Honda exclusively. That was their choice.
Click to expand...

Do you know if Honda WANTED to be the sole sponsor of Honda F1 or if they became the sole sponsor because other sponsors could not be found?

The prospects for selling the team are probably low given that a new buyer will have to pay the full tab for running the team for at least the first year while sponsors can be found.
 
TC said:
Do you know if Honda WANTED to be the sole sponsor of Honda F1 or if they became the sole sponsor because other sponsors could not be found?

The prospects for selling the team are probably low given that a new buyer will have to pay the full tab for running the team for at least the first year while sponsors can be found.
Click to expand...

If a group buys the program they'll bring like 20 sponsors with it ... therefore can have some return .. so, Honda will supply the engines?

OScar
 

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