Honda to continue as 'Brawn GP'

Eurosport - Sat, 07 Mar 16:18:00 2009

The former Honda Formula One team has been saved and will race this season as Brawn GP under team principal and new owner Ross Brawn.

FORMULA 1 Ross Brawn Honda F1 08 - 0

Britain's Jenson Button and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, last year's Honda line-up, will continue to drive for the British-based team with the first race in Australia little more than three weeks away on March 29.

Brawn GP, whose change of name is subject to the agreement of the governing FIA, will use Mercedes engines under a deal with McLaren's partners.

No financial details were given.

"Honda Motor Company Limited and Ross Brawn are pleased to confirm that they have reached agreement to secure the future of the former Honda Racing F1 Team," the statement said.

"With immediate effect, Honda will pass ownership to Ross Brawn, team principal of the new Brawn GP Formula One Team."

Brawn, a former Ferrari technical director, looked forward to the new season after months of doubt about the team's survival following Honda's announcement in December they were pulling out due to the credit crunch.

"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," he said.

"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."

The team said Nick Fry, the former Honda Racing chief executive who attended a news conference held by the Formula One Teams' Association in Geneva on Thursday, will remain as part of Brawn's senior management team.

However the Brackley-based team, formerly the sport's biggest spenders, are likely to shed a considerable number of their 700 employees.

They are due to hold a private shakedown of the new car at the Silverstone circuit in England on Friday before travelling to Spain for their first test of the year in Barcelona on Monday.

They will also hold a final pre-season test in Jerez.

Barrichello is F1's most experienced driver with a record 270 starts and his partnership with Button, reported in the British media to have taken a significant pay cut, represents a combined total of 423 grands prix.

Brawn's move, effectively a management buy-out, rescued both men's careers with 36-year-old Barrichello out of contract while Button was facing a year on the sidelines with all other teams completing their line-ups.

With the team's survival, Formula One will start the season with 10 teams - one fewer than at the beginning of 2008 before Super Aguri folded.

Reuters

Comment 179 - 198 of 258

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  1. Yeah, Scotty, are you sure ?

    From m.e.jenner, on Sat 7 Mar 9:05PM

  2. Scottish C - you are correct with the apostrophe­ usually denoting ownership however I think­ "its" is one of our lovely English exceptions­ and the apostrophe is not used.

    From Grey Scale, on Sat 7 Mar 8:36PM
  3. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    The grammar is correct. The apostrophe denotes­ ownership.

    "Comment hidden due to it's low­ rating"

    The low rating belonging to the­ comment.

    Massa's car is red. The car belonging to­ Massa is red.

    .

    Apostrophe can also show missing­ letters, it's = it is, that's = that is or that­ has.

    Where it's mot commonly misused is when an s­ is added to a noun to make it plural. Car to cars, DVD­ to DVDs, the mistake would be to write car's or­ DVD's, incorrect.

    From Scottish C, on Sat 7 Mar 7:53PM

  4. double world champ ALONSO to succeed again in­ 2009

    may luck & good fortune go with him

    From fototedlondona4, on Sat 7 Mar 6:31PM

  5. congratulations to Brawn

    lets hope Jenson Button can­ score more points

    however will they reach Australia ­ .. ?

    who will be FIRST to lose their front spoiler ­ ... ? All vote now Ha Ha

    From fototedlondona4, on Sat 7 Mar 6:28PM

  6. See Marion has crawled out from under his stone again,­ I could swear I have read this exact posting word for­ word before. Marion why dont you watch paint drying and­ leave F1
    to genuine fans who are really looking forward­ to 29th March 09 Australian GP.
    Get a life Marion and­ all your aliases

    From martin, on Sat 7 Mar 6:25PM

  7. Ed

    very poor English used

    From sunita139, on Sat 7 Mar 6:10PM

  8. Ed

    very poor English used

    From sunita139, on Sat 7 Mar 6:06PM

  9. comment hidden due to low rating

    From sunita139, on Sat 7 Mar 6:04PM

  10. I smell Salsa and its horrible.

    From , on Sat 7 Mar 5:49PM
  11. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    COMMENT HIDDEN AS IT RECEIVED A LOW RATING

    comment­ hidden due to the low rating awarded

    the low rating­ caused the comment to be hidden

    From salsa747, on Sat 7 Mar 5:37PM
  12. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    COMMENT HIDDEN DUE TO A LOW RATING

    TRY THAT

    From salsa747, on Sat 7 Mar 5:33PM

  13. Good luck to Ross and his team for the coming F1­ season.
    And fair-play for having the­ "ball's" to give it a go !

    From thewook, on Sat 7 Mar 5:31PM

  14. pam_wallis60,
    I too thought Ed P was wrong until I­ considered this :
    Which makes more sense -
    a) Comment­ hidden due to its low rating.
    or
    b) Comment hidden due­ to it is low rating.

    From Alien, on Sat 7 Mar 5:26PM
  15. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    "it"s -- is short for it is ---- and was­ used correctly"

    Perhaps there are special rules­ for two apostrophes then...

    But seriously,­ "Comment hidden due to IT IS low rating"?­ That does not make any sense.

    From farbeyondcrap, on Sat 7 Mar 5:25PM
  16. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    KONGRATULATIONS BRAUN

    From salsa747, on Sat 7 Mar 5:24PM
  17. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    "Ed 198
    especially low rating for your very poor ­ English displayed"

    Actually, that post is spot on­ you moron.

    From farbeyondcrap, on Sat 7 Mar 5:20PM
  18. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    Ed 198
    especially low rating for your very poor­ English displayed

    From pam_wallis60, on Sat 7 Mar 5:13PM
  19. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    77777777676 ed ...{198} is as ignorant with his­ English as he is with his F 1 comments

    76557 --just­ learn that - it"s -- is short for it is ---- and­ was used correctly

    From pam_wallis60, on Sat 7 Mar 5:12PM

  20. SixOneSix : It certainly is a lot easier to find good­ with and celebrate the victories of the numerous­ winners from last year then to find fault because­ " your guy " per se wasn't as­ fortunate.

    When i read comments like " i hope­ Lewis , Kimi , Massa ,Alonso crash on the first corner­ " i have to wonder just what they expect out of a­ race. Just and only their driver to have­ success.Doesn't say much for the drivers talent­ level if no one else is racing and not much for the­ driver if their fans only believe can win without­ competition.

    From slimj, on Sat 7 Mar 4:12PM
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