UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > Fry and Brawn in buy-out

Honda problem to be resolved

The future of the former Honda F1 team is close to being resolved if reports are to be believed. Respected F1 website Grandprix.com has been indicating for some days now that the team will be subject to a management buy-out headed by current team principal Nick Fry, a move that is said to be supported by Honda themselves as it will secure a good proportion of the staff.

The move would give Honda a decent return on its apparently wasted investment, and provide the team personnel with a window in which to attempt to secure sponsorship, a potentially difficult process in these days of economic recession.

At the Ferrari launch yesterday Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari team manager, contradicted the belief that the Italian outfit would be first in line to supply the reformed team with engines, saying that the possibility of such is â€˜close to zeroâ€™.

Grandprix.com believes that a deal is close to being signed with Mercedes-Benz, McLaren partner and supplier of customer engines for the first time to Force India in 2009.

Honda, or whatever the new team will be named, have Jenson Button under contract and also have claims on Rubens Barrichello, although the latter is widely believed to have driven his last F1 race as the team were in the process of deciding between a number of promising young drivers, Bruno Senna and Lucas di Grassi being the prime movers. Rumours have also linked Sebastien Bourdais, who raced for STR in 2008, with the new team although no word on the driver front is forthcoming.

Ross Brawn, the teamâ€™s technical director, believes that a six week period is required to modify the 2009 design to take a new engine, and an announcement on the future of the team is expected in the next few days.

Written: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:58:22