Honda apologises to Button

Eurosport - Fri, 05 Dec 16:18:00 2008

Honda's chief executive has apologised to British driver Jenson Button after Japan's number two carmaker pulled the plug on its Formula One team.

2008 Belgian GP Honda Button - 0

Honda withdrew from Formula One with immediate effect, no longer willing to foot the estimated annual bill of $500 million amid the global economic crisis.

Button, a winner for Honda in Hungary in 2006, is in danger of being left without a drive next season, though some teams have yet to confirm their line-ups.

Brazilian Bruno Senna, the 25-year-old nephew of the late triple world champion Ayrton, had also been tipped to take the place of compatriot Rubens Barrichello at Honda in 2009.

"It's a real shame and I feel deeply sorry for Jenson Button," the CEO of Honda Motor Co Takeo Fukui said. "We had no choice in the current financial conditions."

Managing director Hiroshi Oshima said he had informed team boss Ross Brawn and Honda Racing CEO Nick Fry of the decision and that both men had taken the news on the chin.

"I didn't speak to Jenson so I don't know his reaction," Oshima said. "Ross and Nick were of course extremely disappointed but were very professional.

"They understood the economic climate and Honda's reasons for closing down the operation."

Fukui said Honda, who like its rivals has suffered a sharp decline in sales worldwide, was not thinking about a quick return to Formula One, either as a team or engine supplier.

The British-based team had a hugely disappointing 2008 season, although Fukui denied that poor results had contributed to the decision to pull out of the glamour sport.

Button scored just three points while Barrichello took 11 as Honda finished ninth overall in the constructors' championship.

"Results on the track this year have had absolutely nothing to do with our withdrawal," said Fukui. "It was a purely commercial decision. We must give priority to our core business."

Reuters

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  1. Marion, say what you want while I'm busy counting­ the abundance of peruvian drivers and teams........oh­ wait a minute there are none! Button it (no pun­ intended) sunshine, you constantly talk mere tosh!!

    From mhobbs53, on Sun 7 Dec 12:08PM

  2. Marion, say what you want while I'm busy counting­ the abundance of peruvian drivers and teams........oh­ wait a minute there are none! Button it sunshine, you­ contantly talk mere tosh!!

    From mhobbs53, on Sun 7 Dec 12:04PM

  3. hello my little f1 bum chums it marion here from peru.­
    mr hamiltons son say he stay with mclaren men for­ life. that nice for him but what do mclaren men say?­ you see mclaren is now german owned. the parent company­ is the mercedes benz which is the german. the engine is­ the german engine. everything about the team is the­ german. mr hamiltons son now the swiss gentleman he eat­ much cheese and sings in the morning at mountains. mr­ hamiltons father is also now the swiss man. in fact­ there nothing british about this team at all. even the­ man who tidy up the garage after the race has moved to­ switzerland with his mother. switzerland is owned by­ the german. my friends the whole team is GERMAN - and­ guess what - so is mr glock. now you see why the time­ stand still for mr glock on the last lap. like he in­ the time warp. not even the people abducted by the­ alien lose the amount of time he lost on that last lap.­ IT IS A DISGRACE!!!

    From , on Sun 7 Dec 8:41AM

  4. mclaren are cheats along with hamilton No 1 will ever­ take them too seriosly, they tarnish the name of F1 un­ repairable now my hoes THE NAME OF F1 TOO TARNISHED it­ is a joke...

    From , on Sun 7 Dec 8:31AM

  5. Marino from Peru....How the hell is MAx­ baby..................;-}

    From doubletalkinjive76, on Sun 7 Dec 8:19AM

  6. The Jensen Healey used a Lotus engine.
    The 16 valve­ Sprint engine was only used in the Dolomite, a few TR7­ specials for competition, and a Holbay prepared F3­ engine. BMW didn't like the Dolomite Sprint as it­ was a more potent racer than their cars-it was also a­ handy rally tool.
    Ironically the Dolomite engine was­ originally designed for a customer of Triumph.- SAAB.

    From Count Louis Zborowski, on Sat 6 Dec 11:56PM

  7. You are right jd.patel it was a Lotus but nevertheless­ very similar to the Sprint.

    From wizzo, on Sat 6 Dec 11:42PM

  8. Re: T2riumph Fun2ny ho2w thi2ngs tu2rn o2ut. It­ tur2ns o2ut B2MW no2w o2wn t2he T2riumph name.­ Comparing the two manufactures at the time I would have­ thought it would be the other way round today. Hate the­ invalid comments I am giving up after this

    From JAYANTILAL, on Sat 6 Dec 11:08PM

  9. (that’s the Healey). Don’t know much about its engine.­ I always thought that was a Lotus Europa engine perhaps­ it was the Europa headlights. But I am probabley way­ of mark.

    From JAYANTILAL, on Sat 6 Dec 10:59PM

  10. … Jensen Nice body

    From JAYANTILAL, on Sat 6 Dec 10:58PM

  11. Hate the invalid comments I am giving up after this.

    From JAYANTILAL, on Sat 6 Dec 10:57PM

  12. The engine from the Sprint was also used in the Jensen­ Healey.

    From wizzo, on Sat 6 Dec 10:23PM

  13. It was not just the TR6. The 16 valve Dolomite Sprint,­ lovely. The Triumph’s in the sixty’s and seventy’s­ were head and shoulders better then the competition. I­ just loved the motors. They were far advanced compared­ to BMW`s at the time. But for poor management they­ would be should be were BMW are now..... Re: Honda’s­ pullout……….. Ecclestone `s decisions to pull out of­ Honda’s largest market North America could not have­ helped.

    From JAYANTILAL, on Sat 6 Dec 9:58PM

  14. Jenson deserves to be given a drive for next season, we­ need to keep British Drivers.

    From huggy, on Sat 6 Dec 7:43PM

  15. Leyland TR6 is the best example what the British car­ industry did right.

    From wizzo, on Sat 6 Dec 6:38PM

  16. hello my little f1 bum chums it marion here from peru.­
    mr hamiltons son say he stay with mclaren men for­ life. that nice for him but what do mclaren men say?­ you see mclaren is now german owned. the parent company­ is the mercedes benz which is the german. the engine is­ the german engine. everything about the team is the­ german. mr hamiltons son now the swiss gentleman he eat­ much cheese and sings in the morning at mountains. mr­ hamiltons father is also now the swiss man. in fact­ there nothing british about this team at all. even the­ man who tidy up the garage after the race has moved to­ switzerland with his mother. switzerland is owned by­ the german. my friends the whole team is GERMAN - and­ guess what - so is mr glock. now you see why the time­ stand still for mr glock on the last lap. like he in­ the time warp. not even the people abducted by the­ alien lose the amount of time he lost on that last lap.­ IT IS A DISGRACE!!!

    From , on Sat 6 Dec 6:10PM

  17. Mr Bolam the TR6 saved the Industry for a while,best­ looking Leyland car. If you have a look around you will­ find quite a few in yr country even now.

    From wizzo, on Sat 6 Dec 5:59PM

  18. To: martinw2381 (post 44).
    Like you I hope JB gets a­ decent drive and that he still has the ability to live­ up to the potential he showed at the start of his­ career. However, I cannot agree that Lewis was gifted­ anything. He and his Dad made the right decisions while­ Jenson and his Dad made the wrong ones (it seems).­ Nobody accuses the Williams girls of being gifted their­ tennis titles. Young footballers who are picked up by­ scouts from a Premiership club who go on to make the­ first team are not accused of being gifted their place.­ In fact they are acclaimed as being 'home grown­ talent'. I'm sick of people sneering at the­ Hamiltons. Lewis has a huge talent and both he and his­ Dad have worked their Nomex off to get where they are­ now. Fantastic achievement. Perhaps not a unique one­ but one that should be applauded and seen as a shining­ example for others who think the world can offer them­ nothing.

    From Biffo, on Sat 6 Dec 4:11PM

  19. ALL ALL F1 racing must be halted immediately
    their­ squandered money is deplorable

    From kontrol.climate, on Sat 6 Dec 2:02PM

  20. hello my little f1 bum chums it marion here from peru.­
    mr hamiltons son say he stay with mclaren men for­ life. that nice for him but what do mclaren men say?­ you see mclaren is now german owned. the parent company­ is the mercedes benz which is the german. the engine is­ the german engine. everything about the team is the­ german. mr hamiltons son now the swiss gentleman he eat­ much cheese and sings in the morning at mountains. mr­ hamiltons father is also now the swiss man. in fact­ there nothing british about this team at all. even the­ man who tidy up the garage after the race has moved to­ switzerland with his mother. switzerland is owned by­ the german. my friends the whole team is GERMAN - and­ guess what - so is mr glock. now you see why the time­ stand still for mr glock on the last lap. like he in­ the time warp. not even the people abducted by the­ alien lose the amount of time he lost on that last lap.­ IT IS A DISGRACE!!!

    From , on Sat 6 Dec 11:58AM
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