David Richards to buy Honda Racing F1?

[WhiteBlue]

Almost four hours ago the Home of Sport lauched the rumor that David Richard of Prodrive was one of the prospective buyers of Honda F1. They said that the deal could be signed as soon as this weekend.

I have seen this a bit earlier and still think that it would be an excellent opportunity to buy low for Richards. He is in the unique position to substantially cut employment and still be able to offer the best people jobs at Prodrive or Aston Martin.

This could be a decisive factor as Honda will aim to sell to a buyer who would transform the company with the least political noise and hardship.

By taking over Honda, ex BAR ex Tyrrell Richard would certainly have a team that can claim heritage in F1 and make use of advantegeous customer deals if they materialise.

Richard is so well connected in financial, automotive and racing circels that sponsorship would almost be no problem for him. I would bet that 3 month into the deal he would have the cars start with sponsorship five times the volume that Honda had.

This deal could be irresistable for both sides.

[xpensive]

Buyer indeed, for one (1) USD, provided he can give some sort of guarantee that the team will actually compete, as I can understand things..

[freedom_honda]

David Richards seems to be the best choice to be honest. David Richards + Ross Brawn = The next dream team?
But it makes me wonder, how much money will the new investor put into the team every year to keep the team going? i mean if they are only putting 100 million each year they certainly won't be winning any races would they? Nowadays money = victory. Honda actually got a brilliant team with all it requires to win. It just stupid freaking Nick Fry screw the whole team over with his "wonderful" leadership and management skills. He should have been sacked ages ago.

Now the question is, should Button stays at Honda (lets just keep calling the team Honda until a new name is given) and take the risk of not having a race seat next year, since the RA109 is a potentially race winner (according Ross). Or should he just go to STR?

He gotta be the most unlucky driver. i feel so sorry for him. Give him a bloody competitive car im pretty damn sure he would be able to challenge for the win.

[myurr]

Problem with Richards is Aston Martin and Prodrive are already shedding jobs - would be a bad move for either of those companies to take on an effectively unfunded F1 team.

[WhiteBlue]

That is true but they could still upgrade their staff with high grade F1 engineers instead of letting thm go elsewhere. Even in times of redundancies companies use all oportunities to improve the HR pool. Big groups have a lot more ways to juggle people around tha a small F1 company on their own.

[Shaddock]

Whoever buys the Honda F1 has to then go cap in hand to every other manufacturer trying to clinch an engine deal for next year. This will mean a redesign of their 09 challenger to match the new engines cooling requirements, size, KERS, and mounting points.

And time is ticking away.

The future doesn’t look that bright IMO

[andartop]

I think it wouldn't be a bad idea for Honda to include an engine supply for 1 year in the deal. Free of charge of course. Provided the team will compete in 2009. Richards is a fox, more than capable of running the team successfully. Maybe he could convince Honda to provide/sponsor the engines. Maybe he could even convince Jenson to "buy" his racing seat in the team for next year, by investing some cash back in the team, exactly like Villeneuve did in the past. They could even name the new team B.A.R. Honda, that is, Button And Richards - Honda !!!

[donskar]

Whoever buys the Honda F1 has to then go cap in hand to every other manufacturer trying to clinch an engine deal for next year. This will mean a redesign of their 09 challenger to match the new engines cooling requirements, size, KERS, and mounting points.

And time is ticking away.

The future doesn’t look that bright IMO

I certainly hope someone can pull a Phoenix out of Honda's ashes, but shaddock has an excellent point. It's very late. And IF someone does buy the team we could end up with another Super Aguri.

Would/can Honda provide engines? They'd risk potentially damaging PR if they did -- are you in or out?

The next few weeks of testing will be critically important. If Honda is in limbo during that period, they might never catch up.

[WhiteBlue]

Honda have made it absolutely clear that they will not supply engines.

[tarzoon]

Honda have made it absolutely clear that they will not supply engines.

that makes me wonder... if a standard engine is used, could honda build it?

[Conceptual]

Honda have made it absolutely clear that they will not supply engines.

that makes me wonder... if a standard engine is used, could honda build it?

What about the engines that were used this year, and last year by Honda and SUper Aguri? Have they all been destroyed, or could they be rebuilt, and ran again in 2009?

People speak of engines as if they bio-degrade in a month after use. If someone buys Honda Racing F1, do they not get the RA106/7/8 along with the RA109?

I would think that anyone who bought HR-F1 would already GET engines.

Can someone explain exactly what happens to these engines after their 2 week race life is over?

[Flummo]

I would assume that they are taken apart and thouroghly inspected. I'd say that most part in such an engine would have to be called "wear parts", and as such, would need replacement if the engine was to be rebuilt - so rebuilding it would basically mean building a new engine anyway.

[pipex]

Someone please correct me if i'm wrong, but maybe Honda doesn't want to give some "free" engines because of the intellectual property that goes with them, specs, drawings, and some things like that. Maybe the return of Mugen?? Prodrive Mugen...

Regards

[WhiteBlue]

Contrary to other series F1 engines are fire and forget. The engine is part of the stressed body and is designed for just the lifetime. Then they are thrown away. At least that was the case with the V10s before the FiA mandated some minimum weight. It may be slightly different now with the V8 engines that are shorter and heavier. I havn't heard what they do now, but they may still throw them away.

[xpensive]

Is this what the two or three race engine is all about, the life of the engine-block itself, that the entire unit is wasted? I was wondering over the stratospheric cost of a customer engine supply these days, this is outrageous!

If this is correct, which I find difficult to fathom, things are completely out of hands and a standard engine is absolutely the way to go.