Honda To Pull Out Of F1

[MasterDon]

hmmm, are you a (former) Dragon Naturally Speaking customer?

what? i'm pretty sure dragons don't speak..err..naturally

[Pericles]

It was an old speech to text converter. Types out what you say into the mike. "Scratch that" was the way you erased something you just said.

[MasterDon]

It was an old speech to text converter. Types out what you say into the mike. "Scratch that" was the way you erased something you just said.

ahhh now i see..LOL...

[Devinda_Z]

Honda confirms Virgin's interest in Honda

18 February 2009

The Honda Formula 1 team has admitted it is currently negotiating with Richard Branson's Virgin Group. The Virgin group have made a bid to purchase the Brackley based team.

"We are negotiating with several buyers and one of these parties is the Virgin Group," a Honda spokesperson said.

According to speculations Honda is talking to several companies who could be a possible buyer. The team is confident to be at the opening race at the end of March in Melbourne.

Source : http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/02/18/...erest-in-honda/

Edited February 20, 2009 by Devinda_Z

[Pericles]

I dunno if I just have a warped mind, but a team called "Virgin Racing" just strikes me as funny

[Devinda_Z]

Im sure they will be back when they get the money. Honda are struggling with their sales. The manufacturing plant is Swindon here in the UK is scheduled to shut for 2 months next year to cut production and a few months ago they parked 7000 new civics in an airfield as they were not selling.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/no...otive-recession

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn41...02/ai_n30968923

make that Four months!

Honda shuts down Swindon plant for 4 months

LONDON (AFP) – Workers at Honda's Swindon factory made the last cars on Friday before a four-month shutdown caused by a sharp fall in worldwide sales.

Production at the Japanese giant's plant will be halted until June 1, with 4,200 workers receiving full pay for the first two months, reduced to 60 percent for the rest of the shutdown.

Honda has insisted it intends to maintain its Swindon workforce until the Jazz model is due to go into production there later this year.

The shutdown came on a grim day of news for Honda as Japan's second-largest carmaker said its net profit plunged 89 percent in the fiscal third quarter and it slashed its annual earnings forecast by more than half.

It made a net profit of 20.24 billion yen (157 million pounds) for the three months to December, down from 200 billion yen a year earlier.

Japanese car firms have been slashing production and laying off workers to cope with the global economic crisis, which has seen demand for vehicles collapse as potential buyers find finance drying up amid the credit crunch.

In Britain, Nissan has cut 1,200 jobs from its 5,000-strong workforce at its plant in Sunderland in northeast England.

Source : http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090130/wl_uk...utocompanyhonda

[MasterDon]

Honda F1 becomes Brawn GP

www.autocar.co.uk

Honda's Formula One operation has been saved by a takeover engineered by the team's technical director Ross Brawn.

Brawn confirmed last night that he would be assuming control of the team, which Honda decided to sell off or close at the end of last season because of the global economic crisis.

The team's drivers, Briton Jenson Button and Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello, will be retained for 2009, and their cars will be powered by Mercedes-Benz engines. The team's challenger for this season, called BGP 001 and painted in white, black and yellow, conducted a shakedown test at Silverstone this morning.

"The past few months have been extremely challenging for the team but today's announcement is the very pleasing conclusion to the strenuous efforts that have been made to secure its future," said Brawn.

"Firstly, it is a great shame that having worked with Honda Motor Company for so long we can no longer continue together. I would like to thank Honda for the fantastic co-operation and support we have received throughout this process - particularly those members of the senior management who were closely involved with concluding our agreement - and for the faith they have demonstrated in myself and our team.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to pay due credit to our staff at Brackley. The levels of motivation and commitment that I have witnessed at the factory deserve the highest praise."

Brawn GP has yet to release any details about how it may restructure its operation at Brackley. There have already been reports that Button has taken a 50 per cent pay cut to retain his seat, and that up to half the staff at Brackley could be laid off with redundancy packages at a fraction of those that were offered at the end of 2008.

Edited March 6, 2009 by HelRazor

[Devinda_Z]

Honda F1 becomes Brawn GP

www.autocar.co.uk

Honda's Formula One operation has been saved by a takeover engineered by the team's technical director Ross Brawn.

any idea who the teams sponsors are??

[MasterDon]

any idea who the teams sponsors are??

seems like they haven't got one yet... http://www.brawngp.com/index.php

[Devinda_Z]

seems like they haven't got one yet... http://www.brawngp.com/index.php

that can't be a particularly bright thing to do ne , going into the season using ones own funs (which is how i'm assuming they're planning on funding their exploits)

it wouldn't be suprising if they give up mid season simply out a lack of funds (assuming they don't find a sponsor) given that F1 isn't exactly the worlds cheapest sport to compete in