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.
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."
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Comment 1 - 17 of 77
novicoffee: Hopefully he won't get "snaped up" but maybe he will be snapped up.
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!!!
Jenson is one of the last true playboy racers and has more personality in his right foot than hamilton has in his entire body.He will get snaped up by another team.Go Jenson!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who cares - Jensen was @#$% anyway!! He is too busy counting his millions to notice he was an F1 driver. It was the same with Desperate Dan Coulthard. These boys are too busy being playboys than working for a living.
If Honda don't get bought and Button doesn't find a seat next year then we may have to face the prospect of one of our most naturally gifted racing drivers never having a true crack at the F1 crown. Here's hoping that Honda finds a buyer or Mclaren see sense and replace the woefully average Kovaleinen with Jenson
How sad for jensen..Honda have always been renouned for quality and this decision will lose that reputation for them...all very sad, especially after seeing jensen so enthusiastic about next season.
flash_too: Another popular Japanese name is Ichiassi.
vanessa_cutts05: Thanks for that, I'm sure everyone in here agrees with that sentiment.
Perhaps F1 needs some sort of carthasis, so that it can rise phoenix-like from the ashes of car makers advertising budgets.
Next year will be interesting, car sales will be down to ??? 50% who knows?
The German economy will suffer probably more that any other European economy because it is so dependent on the car industry.
F1 in 2010? maybe?
Just a pity thay didn't announce this at the end of the season - that way Jenson & Brawn could have figured a bit more in some of the top teams' thinking.
s
how much exposure does honda want for its budget ?
from epiphany
will Jenson get back the millions he gave to join them
I don't think so !!!
put him in the maclaren next to hamilton!!!!
button put in his time there knowing his car was rubbish
anyone notice the honda chaps name is fuckyou...??
@#$% car anyway,lets hope he gets a drive in a decent car,cant do no worst. makes you wonder how long ago they decided this as they didnt advance the car at all???????????
jenson dosent need to worry,someone outhere will snap him up
Hopefully the FIA will allow customer car teams in to F1, to place these out-of-work drivers in what I hope will be competitive cars. The current sitation of the 'Grandee' teams calling all the shots must cease, or F1 will die.
If Honda had been sucessful they would still be in F1, a colossal budget to be also rans at the back of the grid is a humiliation for them
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