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. where weak bellyman MJA he keeps gettin plugged....lol

    From , on Fri 5 Dec 5:09PM

  2. 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 Fri 5 Dec 4:55PM

  3. Bill Mac. Then how does he smell ?

    From chtech06, on Fri 5 Dec 4:54PM

  4. Thankfully, I'm not :-)

    From she-ra, on Fri 5 Dec 4:48PM

  5. Yes, making fun of people's names should be banned.­ For example, someone is going to mention a certain­ footballer called Nowanku Kanu. I mean, honestly, what­ sportsmen can or cannot do is beside the point.­ Let's rise above all this and call them bankers.

    From Pete, on Fri 5 Dec 4:43PM

  6. We should not make jokes about peoples names. If we did­ the Honda executive Mr Fuki would get very upset.­ Didn't She-ra once play for Newcastle ?.

    From chtech06, on Fri 5 Dec 4:29PM

  7. It seems to me that Jensen Button has been saying for a­ few years that 'next season's model will be a­ great one' (an it never came true). I like Jensen­ as a driver and think that with the right machine he­ could win a world title, but it may be to late now­ unless he gets a drive in a good car which gives a good­ performance.

    CRUISER 54

    From terama119, on Fri 5 Dec 4:28PM

  8. Nearly there Max , your one engine one team F1­ championship. hahahahah

    From hotrijder7, on Fri 5 Dec 4:23PM

  9. Thanks Berni en Max, Whose next?????

    From hotrijder7, on Fri 5 Dec 4:20PM

  10. IOM9076, post 14. I would take issue with your­ atatement that DC and JB are both playboys. DC is the­ most successful British F1 driver in terms of points­ scored with a career total of 535, he has won 13 GP and­ been on the podium in 62, scoring points in 121 races­ out of 247 starts, IMHO he is hardly a playboy! Taking­ a Red Bull to 3rd in Monaco is quite an achievement as­ well.

    From kevin.day1959, on Fri 5 Dec 3:11PM

  11. who cares-roy keane has left sunderland, sam allardyce­ wants the job, capello is england manager lets read­ some important footie news!!!!! only joking of course­ F1 is a multi million £ industry and honda will be­ missed, even more than keano

    From andy.stonach, on Fri 5 Dec 3:04PM

  12. Honda won't be pulling out of MotoGP, much cheaper,­ lots of coverage still.

    From , on Fri 5 Dec 3:04PM

  13. too bad for button...

    From Darta, on Fri 5 Dec 2:59PM

  14. Bill Mac: Why do you feel the need to correct­ people's spelling mistakes ? Especially after­ coming out with a humourless quip like­ 'Ichiassi'. The 'spelling and grammar­ correctors' on here make me laugh....(hope the­ grammar/punctuation/spelling is o.k)

    From she-ra, on Fri 5 Dec 2:07PM

  15. rinko and jensen v talented billmac moshi moshi -­ epiphany no crash crash

    From isabel moet, on Fri 5 Dec 1:51PM

  16. Mouron thinks Jensen will go to Ferrari !!.

    From chtech06, on Fri 5 Dec 1:42PM

  17. I agree with 1. Nakamoto moved to vice-pres of another­ part of Honda yesterday, today Honda leaving F1. This­ is all about not loosing face in Japan. Anyone who has­ worked for a large Japanese company will know this.­ Contracts signed by Jenson should cover this­ financialy. It is the chance of a drive. Will he be­ joining BBC ????? much better than Martin Brundel

    From P L, on Fri 5 Dec 1:40PM

  18. marion, you are an idiot, shut up, go away, learn­ english.....don't come back when you have.

    From mark, on Fri 5 Dec 1:20PM

  19. Some hater$ are so pre-occupied with the Ham that they­ forget that there are other stories.

    For those who­ cannot read, this story is not about Lewis Hamilton!!

    From Poison pill, on Fri 5 Dec 12:45PM

  20. Who wants personality? I want to see my British drivers­ actually trying to compete and winning Championships.­ They can have a personality when they retire from their­ short lived racing careers.

    From , on Fri 5 Dec 12:42PM
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