Brawn confirms Honda talking to Ferrari
Honda team boss Ross Brawn has confirmed he is in talks with his former employer Ferrari about securing a customer engine supply for 2009.
The Briton told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he and colleague Nick Fry are also speaking with multiple potential buyers of the Brackley based team.
“Honda has already said it will not supply us with engines, so that’s why I contacted Ferrari,” said Brawn, who was the Maranello team’s technical director until 2006.
“We haven’t signed anything yet but I really appreciated the support from president Luca di Montezemolo and Stefano Domenicali. It’s like being among former schoolmates: they still see me as one of their own.”
Brawn said his priority is to safeguard the jobs of Honda Racing F1’s staff, rather than protecting his own position or selling to the highest bidder.
When asked how many parties the team is speaking to, he answered: “I can only say it’s more than one. The objective is to save the jobs… my presence is certainly not a priority.”
He said the team was unlikely to return to the test tracks prior to the start of the season, but that he is “really optimistic” about the chances of survival.
“There’s no hurry because modifying the car to install a different engine requires at least six weeks of work anyway. It’s unlikely we’ll manage to be on track during the winter.
“That’s why we are studying a package of evolutions for 2010, when we aim to step up the ladder. Next year will remain for us a transitional one,” Brawn said.
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Read more: Will a buyer be found for Honda?
hopefully Ferrari will supply the engine and a buyer will come along soon
I think that the chance is big enough… of course they all still know ross Brawn from the old days with ferrari. I think they will get those engines
If no on-track testing is allowed during the 09 season, and “Honda” knows it won’t be on track prior to the start of the 09 season, how on earth are they going to be at all competitive during the 09 season? Show up to the first few events and use them solely as test sessions?
didn’t you hear, its another transitional year, they sure do like them.
Scootin159 has a vary valid and interesting point there. Also, had I been a potential buyer, this line would have seriously had me reconsidering…
“Next year will remain for us a transitional one”
I think that it would be great, for the team and also F1 if they can secure some sort of engine. “honda” has a great squad and set up at Brackley that it would be a real shame for them not to be at the line up in 09.
I agree with Scootin159 that maybe they should use the first couple or rounds as testing, but we just dont know how advanced they are with the areos throughout the 2008 season.
I have my fingers crossed that a deal will be done.
Next year will remain for us a transitional one
haven’t they been focussing on their 2009 car throughout 2008? all that money pouring in and surely they can’t be hoping only for another gap year waiting for the next season?
of course it will take time to fit a new engine, but their KERS, aero, slick, etc development must be advanced surely?
what an odd thing to say…
So thats the 3rd successive ‘transitional’ year for the once-Honda.
The only way is up, as they say.
In 2007, they were supposed to have a winning car, but they failed and put their focus into 2008, when Brawn would come along.
Then, in 2008, they focused on 2009 the whole season, almost.
Now 2009 is a TRANSITIONAL YEAR?
Odd words from Ross Brawn. Though I suppose if you wanted to get pedantic about it, a transition involves changes, so 2009 could see a transition between backmarker and frontrunner so they would be in the mid-field all season.
So does that mean 3 teams may have Ferrari engines?
Shame though I hoped 2009 was going to be the fightback year and now its pushed back again to 2010. But I guess that’s about configuring the new engines. Even still that won’t please investors. Just goes to show how complex and integral all the systems are.
Also, is it only me or is Ross hinting that a deal to secure the team may have to exclude him?
Again I worry that this all has a familiar taste and smell as poor Super Aguri. They didn’t test and it was all downhill from there. Fingers crossed things will be different.
With Force India switching to Mercs, Ferrari has a free opening for another customer, so it’ll just be status quo if they supply engines to ‘Honda’.
Little off topic, but here is some insight on how Toyota is doing in the US…
http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/06/news/international/toyota_factory_halt.reut/index.htm?postversion=2009010607&eref=rss_topstories
I know they have the most resources of any auto manufacturer, but how long before they cut they’re losses? What if this season starts out badly for them?
It’s a shame that they are already condemning 2009 to be another transitional year. I guess we’ll have to wait until 2010 for their breakthrough, that’s if they can even carry on at all.
They’ve all been transitional years since BAT bought them so this would be no different.
I think Ross would be a big selling point to any buyer, couldn’t think of many other people I’d want more to help them get used to how things in F1 work.
Not to take anything away from Brawn as I’m sure he means it, but Brawn is probably one of the biggest, of many of course, selling points of the team. Any potential investor who knows half about the sport, or at least its recent history, will know Brawn has been drafted in to secure the success of the Brackley-based team. And we all know what happened the last time a team brought in Brawn. Furthermore, he’s been in the team for a season already, and he’ll have a strategy laid out and implemented - they just need to survive to see it through! Transitional year or not.
Brawn, on the back of his name, can afford to lose his job - there’ll be another 8 teams who would be very interested.
I say, put Schumi and Brawn together and you will have a line outside of people willing to buy the team. Give them 2-3 yrs and you will have a race winning team in your hand.
Remember Prost at all?
Though I wonder whether Schumacher would pick Rubens as one of his drivers, or name the team after himself?
Here’s hoping someone will buy the team and take it to Melbourne.
Considering they now have to redesign some sections of the car around a new engine of unknown characteristics, how can they not but have another transitional year. They are also going to be paying for the engines, searching for a buyer, evaluating their staff strength and assets, searching for sponsors, keeping one eye, or both even, on the collapsing world economy…. this transition was forced on them.
I’m with Oliver here, the 09 car IMO was going to be competitive but without the Honda Engine/Box/KERS system all of that has gone to waste and the car will have to be very quickly bodged to accept another engine/box/KERS package. Going down the Ferrari route will further compound the ex honda team as no KERS is planned to start the season with. KERS was going to be the saving grace for Honda so how can they be competitive.
As for the Schumi rumour, is he going to use this as an opportunity to come back? I think not, why would he put his reputation on the line in an inferrior car? Can you see him settling for mid grid finishing LOL
Given that Ferrari no longer see what benifits Old Schuey can bring to their team, what will he do for ex-Honda apart from add his name to it?
I’d like to know how much input he gives to the karting team he is part owner of in Germany, and if he really would be willing to commit that much time to helping create cars good enough to challenge for the Championship.
I don’t see Old Schuey wanting to associate himself with a team which could be branded as ‘losers’ by Bernie after a season or two…….
Erm, I think (ex)HondaF1 will have developed their KERS in house so will still be using their own - assuming it fits with the Ferrari engine…
Ross Brawn at the helm of a car powered by Ferrari. I like!