Ecclestone: Buyers interested in Honda

Eurosport - Sun, 07 Dec 15:44:00 2008

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has claimed several parties have shown interest in buying the Honda team, after their withdrawal from the sport due to financial reasons.

FORMULA 1 - Bernie Ecclestone, F1 bigwig - 0

"I think it's okay. I think there's a number of people out there that have shown a lot of interest," Ecclestone told Sky News.

Ecclestone, saying he knew of two separate enquiries, added that Honda's withdrawal was a wake-up call for the sport.

"Both Max [FIA head Mosley] and myself have been campaigning now for quite a long time to try to reduce the necessity to spend vast amounts of money to be competitive," he said.

"What we are trying to say to the engineers is 'do all these things, come up with the ideas but try to remember the cost'.

"When you consider that Honda have got 700 people working there to put two cars on the starting grid, it's a little bit cranky to be honest with you."

The head of Honda's Formula One team Nick Fry said he was hopeful a buyer would step in.

"We've had two or three global players contact us already who are interested in a top level team... I think there's good reason for hope for the future," he said.

"Formula One is up there with the Olympics and the World Cup in terms of global popularity and that's why there are so many huge companies involved because it is a global stage where they can present their products."

Fry recognised, however, that times were tough for the sport. "We've got to find a way of seeing ourselves through the next couple of years," he said.

"I sat with all the other team owners yesterday and we reduced the budgets for next year potentially by 50 million euros (£43.3 million), by cutting back developing, cutting back testing."

Fry said his team were well-placed for an improved performance next year and it would be a "massive disappointment" if they were not on the start line for the first race of the new season in Australia in March.

"We are very close. This year we really didn't work that hard on our car because we knew we had to invest next year and we wanted a top-line Ross Brawn-developed car for Jenson [Button] next year," he said.

"If that doesn't happen, that would be devastating for everyone involved but at this stage we are assuming it is going to happen."

Mosley said there would be plenty of potential buyers but only if the cost of competing could be controlled.

"We must get the costs down to the point where a potential purchaser can see that he can run the team without having to subsidise it with huge sums of money and then there has to be a source of an engine," he said.

"All of those conditions can be satisfied so I'm optimistic that it can be solved though I think it's by no means certain."

Former team boss Eddie Jordan was also confident there would be a buyer for the Northamptonshire-based team.

"I do believe that Honda will be snapped up," he said. "It's too good, it's a jewel in the crown.

"I think you have the basis of something that can be bought at a very, very discounted price for a huge advantage.

"These are the best facilities that you can ever imagine and to lose that to Formula One would be catastrophic."

Reuters

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  1. Marion we love Germans they are the best at making fast­ cars the one that kicked ferraris ars get over it­ Lewis is champ, buy the way you are one ugly dude

    From I TYSON, on Sun 7 Dec 10:15AM

  2. LEWIS IS KING

    From I TYSON, on Sun 7 Dec 10:08AM

  3. MARION LEWIS IS CHAMP GET OVER IT YOU ONE UGLY @#$%

    From I TYSON, on Sun 7 Dec 10:07AM

  4. Marion wrote:
    No 1 will ever take them too seriosly,­

    A bit like your comments really you tedious little­ twerp. By the way you need to see a dentist.

    From BARRY, on Sun 7 Dec 8:50AM

  5. 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

  6. 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 8:28AM

  7. bets on the bernie will get a commission on the sale of­ Honda flukin mealy mouth shrew

    From not printable, on Sun 7 Dec 6:55AM

  8. The potential buyers : Science Museum - London
    ­ Unpecified art gallery - Dubai.....Keep­ dreaming Bernie

    From goldpibe, on Sun 7 Dec 4:12AM

  9. I don't want to rain on your parade Bernie but I­ was one of the "Interested Buyers" and I­ don't have any money. The other "Interested­ Buyer" was my goldfish Sam who, as well as having­ no money, is also a fish. But go ahead and fool­ yourself Bernie if it makes you feel better. There will­ be many "Sellers" of F1 teams in the coming­ weeks and months but buyers are going to be as scarce­ as hen's teeth. And Hey!, if you see your wife,­ tell her I said "Hi and good luck"...PC Plod

    From USA 1, on Sun 7 Dec 1:26AM

  10. Ecclestone needs to have a rethink on this,On USA,­ CANADA, SILVERSTONE etc etc. He is part of the problem

    From JAYANTILAL, on Sat 6 Dec 10:27PM

  11. jd.patel,
    you make a very good point, that's why I­ am surprised, that Renault have not pulled the plug,­ with the loss of the French Grand Prix.

    From paul t, on Sat 6 Dec 10:14PM

  12. 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 9:24PM

  13. Marnio/Paddington: I think your momma was abducted by­ an alien, and the alien was the better looking. I think­ you get your ars#-ugly looks from your momma.

    From Biggles, on Sat 6 Dec 8:57PM

  14. It would make my day, if Bernie Ecclestone's wife,­ was to buy Honda. Could you imagine the fallout.

    From paul t, on Sat 6 Dec 7:52PM

  15. and KONTROL.CLIMATE piss off back to green green forest­ u eco turd

    From fencer229009, on Sat 6 Dec 7:44PM

  16. What a @#$% Marion is, are you educated or just a prat,­ get a life you @#$%!!!

    From Steve A, on Sat 6 Dec 7:42PM

  17. i agree with rayt....you truly are an ugly f@@@@r

    From fencer229009, on Sat 6 Dec 7:42PM

  18. What a @#$% Marion is, are you educated or just a prat,­ get a life you @#$%!!!

    From Steve A, on Sat 6 Dec 7:42PM

  19. shut up marion

    From fencer229009, on Sat 6 Dec 7:41PM

  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 7:21PM
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