Honda fuera de F1?

[Villamas]

Por cierto, Audi va jalao de ALMS también....

Al parecer solo correran las 24H de Le mans y las 12H de sebring y ya. Los porsches rs spyder tambien van jalados pero esos ni siquiera una prueba van a correr supuestamente...

[Villamas]

Podrían vender el equipo Honda por un precio "barato"

Honda will accept 'small price' for team


Ross Brawn and Nick Fry's hopes of finding a buyer for the Honda Racing team have been boosted by their Japanese bosses saying they will accept a 'small price tag' for the outfit.

Brawn and Fry have just a few weeks to try and make progress in finding a buyer for the team in the wake of Honda's decision to withdraw from Formula One with immediate effect. There are already three prospective buyers said to have come forward and expressed an interest in getting involved.

And although Honda Racing's Brackley facility is state-of-the-art and among the best in F1, Honda's chiefs have said they are not chasing an unrealistic price because their priority is keeping the team alive.

When asked about the reports that Honda may be willing to sell the outfit for a nominal fee, perhaps as little as £1, the company's CEO and chairman Takeo Fukui said: "Just to make the team possible to exist, a small price tag is acceptable."

Fukui made it clear that the motivation for Honda's pullout from F1 had nothing to do with the team's performance on track - but was simply a result of the economic downturn. And, in particular, the alarmingly poor Honda car sales for November.

"We are sorry, it is a big let down for the fans and all concerned, but you have to understand that the sale of cars took a big dip - especially in November," explained Fukui.

"All around the world, the November sales went down massively - beyond our imagination. This decision did not exist in September definitely. The team were ready for 2009 and they were doing their best efforts, and we decided against them.

"We did not only disappoint the fans but also the staff, and we are really sorry for the technical staff, including Ross."

Fukui did not rule out Honda returning to F1 in the future if economic conditions improved.

"For the future we can think whatever," said Fukui. "But for now we are pulling out."

He added: "Honda 's idea of sport has not changed. The pull out is not only for economic reasons but because we believe we are about to embark on a new era , which we think as a big change. The energy we poured into F1 we can now pour into this new phase of the auto industry.

"It is all because of expensive fuel. We need different (road) car design - we need to strengthen the eco hybrid technology. We need to have more energy for the development of eco cars, and for that we can use the personnel who had had the experience of F1."

It was also confirmed that Honda's MotoGP and IndyCar programme would not be impacted.

"MotoGP we will continue and in the Indy series we plan to continue," he said. "Regarding other categories, we start thinking now as to what we should do."

Fukui also said that next year's Japanese Grand Prix at the Honda-owned Suzuka would go ahead.

"The Suzuka GP takes place as planned, and the work has started. We are sorry we are not going to be there."

Fuente

[pmontero]

Y ojo compas que aqui nadie ha mencionado el hecho de que Red Bull le compro de vuelta el 50% de STR a Gerhard Berger y le esta buscando comprador porque al estar prohibidos los chasises compartidos o "customer cars" STR no tiene capacidad para mantenerse a flote solo. Asi que es otro equipo que esta bien pero bien pelis para el 2009.

Y ahora... quien podra defendernos?

[pmontero]

Día negro para la F1.

Nada más podemos esperar que ojalá vuelvan algún día. Y Burrinho y Jaime Botón a trole?

The Rocketman
Sad Day Rockets

en efecto mae... dia negro.

Y ademas de Burrens y el Botones... no te olvides de Ross Brawn. Aunque ya los de Honda dicen que en media hora despues del anuncio oficial tuvieron 3 ofertas SERIAS por el equipo, se especula que uno de esos puede ser Davd Richards.

[Accord]

Bernie dice Honda 'no son una gran pérdida', lo cual es hablada de m*&^d4, pero también dice que eran un mal ejemplo por ser los que más gastaban/despilfarraban y aún así terminaron 9nos, lo cual la verdad es innegable. También menciona que un comprador podría ser anunciado la semana que viene, yo todavía espero un Prodrive/AM/petrodólares, ojalá Honda se la ponga bonita a Richards y cía :D

Bernie Ecclestone has dismissed Honda's departure as 'no great loss' to his Formula One empire.

The Japanese marque was involved with the sport initially in the 60s, with huge success as an engine supplier in the 80s and early 90s, and most recently with its Brackley-based works team.

But although his grid could be reduced to just 18 cars for the forthcoming season, F1 CEO Ecclestone played down Honda's departure.

"Honda will be no great loss," he said at the London boutique Moussaieff, where his daughter Tamara was unveiled as the new 'face' of the jeweller.

Ecclestone, 78, added: "Just look at where they finished in the championship - ninth. They wasted millions and were a bad example to other teams."

"In Formula One, teams come and go. It's not the end of the world. Only Ferrari has been there since the start."

"Now they've gone, we've got a chance to bring in some sense to the teams about how much they should spend.
"

The Daily Telegraph newspaper said Ecclestone believes a new buyer of the Brackley team will be announced next week.

He said: "I'm keen for the team to be kept in place. We have whittled it down to three serious potential buyers."

Meanwhile, former champion Sir Jackie Stewart believes the global slump in car sales is not the only reason for Honda's decision to part.

"I don't think Honda would have closed down their operations if they had finished third or fourth rather than ninth in the constructors' championship," the Scot told The Herald.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

[Accord]

Estaría muy interesante, Citroen-Peugeot en F1 con Bourdais y Button al volante...

The French manufacturer PSA, selling cars under the names Peugeot and Citroen, has reportedly expressed interest in buying Honda's beleaguered Formula One team.

Anonymous sources apparently told the Belgian motor racing magazine Autosportnieuws that the carmaker, last involved in F1 as an engine supplier with the now-defunct Prost team, has made enquiries to buy the Brackley based team as an active F1 competitor.

Citroen's world rally team is the reigning drivers' and constructors' champion, and Peugeot is involved in Le Mans racing.

It is suggested that, given F1's willingness to vastly reduce operating costs, PSA is interested in stepping because it has not been hit as hard by the world economic crisis than some of its peers abroad.


The French government is also pledging financial support to the car sector, in return for Renault and Peugeot-Citroen promising to limit job cuts and plant closures.

It is suggested that Sebastien Bourdais, the French F1 driver whose Toro Rosso seat is in doubt for 2009, would be part of a PSA buyout, with Jenson Button as his team-mate.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

[pmontero]

nada, desde hace dias salieron declaraciones oficiales de PSA diciendo que tienen otras prioridades en estos momentos, y no estan el posicion para entrar a la F1. Ya veremos quien se mete en esa camisa de 11 varas, yo creo que Prodrive algo se trae entre manos.

[Accord]

nada, desde hace dias salieron declaraciones oficiales de PSA diciendo que tienen otras prioridades en estos momentos, y no estan el posicion para entrar a la F1. Ya veremos quien se mete en esa camisa de 11 varas, yo creo que Prodrive algo se trae entre manos.

+1, Richards dijo que lo de Subaru le permitirá concentrarse en la potencial compra de Honda esta semana que viene. Ojalá ojalá.

[Accord]

nada, desde hace dias salieron declaraciones oficiales de PSA diciendo que tienen otras prioridades en estos momentos, y no estan el posicion para entrar a la F1. Ya veremos quien se mete en esa camisa de 11 varas, yo creo que Prodrive algo se trae entre manos.

+1, Richards dijo que lo de Subaru le permitirá concentrarse en la potencial compra de Honda esta semana que viene. Ojalá ojalá.

Será?

Richards sale de Inglaterra para hablar de la entrada en la F1
Y hay rumores de que Button seguirá en el equipo

Richards intenta asegurarse apoyo
Aunque el mundo de la Fórmula Uno se relaja mucho durante la Navidad, David Richards ha salido de Gran Bretaña para intentar volver a la parrilla de los grandes premios en 2009.

El diario británico The Mail on Sunday revelaba que el jefe de Prodrive ha volado en jet privado a Oriente Medio para hablar con inversores que podrían estar interesados en apoyar financieramente la compra del equipo Honda.

Los jefes del equipo de Brackley, Nick Fry y Ross Brawn, solo tienen unas pocas semanas para finalizar la venta.

Además, se cree que los directivos de Tokio solo seguirán manteniendo el equipo si se encuentra un comprador serio para Navidad, con la firma del contrato para el 31 de enero.

"Hay un grupo de personas de Oriente Medio que quiere apoyar un equipo de Fórmula Uno y han sido muy concretos desde hace un año," decía Richards, que se cree que ha viajado a Kuwait.

"Pero debemos acordar cuándo es el momento correcto.. Cuando te sientas a la luz del día y te das cuenta de la fiabilidad que te vas a encontrar y la enorme reestructuración de personal y los recursos necesarios, hay que pensarlo mucho antes de tomar una decisión," explicaba.

"Habrá que cubrir un vacío financiero y seguramente se tardará unos tres años en equilibrar las cuentas," decía el británico de 56 años.


Richards cree que Prodrive es capaz de asumir el reto de la F1, pero admitía que la crisis mundial es un factor importante: "Los sentimientos y la percepción sobre la importancia de los deportes de motor han cambiado en cuestión de seis semanas con la dramática caída de la economía."

"No he descartado volver a la Fórmula Uno, el algo en lo que estoy muy interesado," subrayaba el jefe de Prodrive. "Pero la gran pregunta sigue siendo: ¿es un reto demasiado grande en este momento? Eso es lo que debo decidir."

Richards también rechazó las sugerencias de que, dado que él y Jenson Button se separaron en no muy buenas relaciones hace casi cuatro años, es improbable que se reúnan en Brackley en 2009.

"Jenson es un gran piloto, el tipo de piloto sobre el que te gustaría montar un equipo," dijo el británico.

Mejor explicado aqui: http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport/foo ... -East.html que además rumora los otros dos posibles compradores.