Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Honda CEO reportedly rules out return to Formula One]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/16/honda-ceo-rules-out-return-to-formula-one/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/16/honda-ceo-rules-out-return-to-formula-one/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/16/honda-ceo-rules-out-return-to-formula-one/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Things could hardly have played out worse for Honda. It has poured what surely amounted to billions of dollars for years into its Formula One team with little effect. Then it brought in Ross Brawn, only to withdrew its support from the squad, then it sold the entire operation to Brawn while paying out big bucks to avoid an even bigger severance bill. And only then did Brawn turn the F1 team into a winner. That'd be enough to send some automakers scurrying to get back in the game, but not Honda.

The Japanese automaker's new CEO Tokanobu Ito has reportedly completely ruled out the possibility of a return to F1 "even if the economy improves," deriding the series as bereft of relevant development possibilities. Well, there you have it. No word, however, on whether Honda will support the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix at its Suzuka Circuit after Toyota withdrew its Fuji Speedway from the event.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty]

Honda CEO reportedly rules out return to Formula One originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota's Timo Glock at the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix at the Fuji Speedway

In any game of chicken, it's all about who flinches first. Ever since its first running in 1963, the Japanese Grand Prix has bounced between Fuji Speedway and Suzuka Circuit, the former dominating in the '60s and '70s before the latter got the exclusive in the late-'80s through 2006, at which point Fuji took over again. The rivalry is about more than just the tracks, though: With Toyota owning Fuji and arch-rival Honda owning Suzuka, the back-and-forth has become something of a turf war between the country's automotive powerhouses.

Two years ago, the two tracks worked out a deal that would have the race alternating year to year, sort of like Germany's arrangement between Hockenheim and the Nürburgring. However, emerging reports suggest that tightening belts at Toyota could spell trouble for Fuji Speedway. The costs of hosting a Formula 1 grand prix event continue to escalate, and those costs may be harder to justify for the cash-strapped auto giant - especially if ticket sales don't cover the budget. Honda is likely in no better a financial situation, as evidenced by their unfortunate withdrawal from the sport. But if Toyota flinches first, Honda might win the race... in one sense or another.

[Source: F1-Live | Image: Mark Thompson/Getty]

REPORT: Toyota woes spell trouble for Fuji Speedway originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Ross Brawn took over the artist formerly known as Honda F1, the other Formula 1 teams voted to allow Brawn GP to receive the commercial revenue owed to Honda. That was before Brawn started winning, oh, everything. The reversal came when the FIA declared Brawn an entirely new team and Renault's Flavio Briatore declared Brawn shouldn't get any money -- so Brawn didn't get the twenty million pounds it was expecting.

Now Brawn has decided to sell its Honda and BAR Racing heritage collection. The cars and collectibles span the 2001 to 2006 seasons and were piloted by Villeneuve, Button, and Barichello. With a 2001 BAR chassis pegged at something like £7,000 ($11,528 US), the sale won't come anywhere close to the £20,000,000 from the lost commercial revenue.

The sale is said to be about raising money, but we imagine that's only part of the case. Brawn has already said "we have the budget and the people to win the championship," and the team knocked back Virgin sponsorship because Sir Richard Branson wasn't offering enough. All of that makes this sale sound just as much about housecleaning and out-with-the-old as it is about money.

[Source: Five FWD]

REPORT: Brawn GP to sell off Honda heritage collection originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for gallery of Brawn GP testing at Catalunya

Normally an off-season Formula One test session wouldn't be worth reporting to anyone but the most hard-core racing fans, but the motorsport press was shocked to see which team has emerged at the front of the pack at this week's official session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. Only a couple of weeks after announcing their new ownership and return to the grid for this season, it was Brawn GP that embarrassed the heavy-hitters and lead the field, running with a plain livery while strategizing sponsorship deals and posting lap times a full second ahead of Ferrari, the next fastest team in testing.

While some postulated that Jenson Button's lap times were nothing more than a publicity stunt, running on a reduced fuel load to lap faster and garner attention, analysts note that the team was up at the front the whole way through their full Grand Prix weekend simulation. Even Fernando Alonso says the former Honda team's performance is for real, while Ross Brawn, the mastermind technical director turned team owner, credits the team's performance to the priority placed on developing the new car last year under the Honda banner.

Meanwhile, returning champions McLaren-Mercedes, which is supplying Brawn's engines in exchange for Honda's severance cash, languished at the back of the field, while Toyota, which is tipped to follow Honda out of the sport if they don't win their first race this year, ran at the front with Ferrari and BMW. With new regulations in place, we knew things would get shaken up, but Brawn GP was probably the last team we expected to seize the reins. Click below to view a new image gallery, and follow the jump for video footage.


Gallery: Brawn GP at Catalunya, March 2009


[Source: F1-Live]

Continue reading Ex-Honda team Brawn GP dominates pre-season F1 tests

Ex-Honda team Brawn GP dominates pre-season F1 tests originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's official: Honda has turned over their Formula 1 team to former Team Principal Ross Brawn. Although the terms of the transaction haven't been disclosed, Brawn picks up the whole operation in the sale. While there were suggestions the new team might be named Brackley after the team's HQ locale, it will be eponymously named Brawn GP. Considering the cars feature McLaren-Mercedes powerplants, we weren't surprised when we didn't see the word "Honda" in the name.

Along with the new name comes a new website, BrawnGP.com, where you can find a small gallery of the GP cars, drivers and Ross. The cars have already been testing in the UK at Silverstone and are expected to test in Spain as well before the season opener in Melbourne on March 29. Drivers have been confirmed as Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, assuring some continuity and experience for the new-old team. It will definitely be an interesting F1 season. Press releases from both companies are after the jump.

Continue reading Officially Official: Honda sells F1 team to Ross Brawn, Brawn GP launched

Officially Official: Honda sells F1 team to Ross Brawn, Brawn GP launched originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The former Honda F1 team has a white knight, and his name is Ross Brawn. The man originally brought in by former team principal Nick Fry to help turn the struggling team around has ended up taking control of it, along with four partners thought to include Fry and financial director Nigel Kerr. Brawn and Fry have been reported to have an equal share in the team, but it will most certainly be run by Brawn.

Some reports claim that the team will be called Brawn Sport, while others say it will be called Brackley F1 - Brackley being the site of the team's UK headquarters. Whatever it's called, the team has been funded by an advance on its Formula 1 television rights money, and Honda. The carmaker decided it would be better and cheaper to give the new team money than to close up shop and pay several hundred severance packages.

Jenson Button has taken a pay cut to remain with the team, but his teammate hasn't been named. With recent events, Bruno Senna is thought to be out of the running so that Rubens Barrichello can provide continuity and experience. The team's Mercedes engines have already been paid for and installed, and a shakedown is scheduled for this Thursday at Silverstone. For F1 fans, it means there'll be another team in what is looking like a fascinating season.

[Source: Daily F1 | Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty]

REPORT: Honda F1 team to be taken over by Brawn Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the start of the 2009 Formula One championship approaching, reports from the motorsport press are suggesting that Honda's F1 team may be starting this season after all. Honda had announced it was withdrawing from the sport after last season, leaving team leaders Nick Fry and Ross Brawn to look for new funding. And if those reports are to be believed, they may have found it. Some of it, anyway.

Without Honda's active participation, the team is speculated to run customer engines supplied by Mercedes-Benz. The task of securing financial backing, however, was made all the more difficult by team sponsor Petrobras' decision to withdraw from Formula One as well. But sources suggest that Honda may have found it more cost-effective to help keep the team afloat for a while longer rather than having to offer its employees severance packages. Additional funding is said to have come from the personal backers of Bruno Senna, nephew of the late great Ayrton Senna, who was tipped to partner Jenson Button at the team for this season before Honda pulled the plug. Lastly, reports indicate that F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone may be backing the orphaned team out of his own business interests. But the $30 million in funding reported may only be enough to get the former Honda team on the grid for the first four races in Australia, Malaysia, China and Bahrain, which could at least give Ross and Nick some more time to find new patrons and sponsors.

[Source: F1-Live and GrandPrix.com]

Honda strikes an Accord, may stay in F1 after all originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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F1 teams change hands all the time, but when a major manufacturer pulls out of the sport, it's bound to trigger a rumor mill of tsunamic proportions. And that's exactly what's been going on in the motorsport press following Honda's announcement to cancel its F1 program.

First came rumors that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim was to buy the team, but those reports were later denied. Ferrari, meanwhile, has confirmed discussions with Ross Brawn, formerly the Scuderia's technical director and now head of the Honda F1, over the prospect of supplying engines to the team if and when a new buyer is found. (Last year Ferrari supplied both Toro Rosso and Force India, but the latter has switched to Mercedes for the upcoming season.) Brawn and his colleague Nick Fry are reportedly speaking to a number of potential buyers (Prodrive's David Richards possibly still among them), but while the asking price for the team must be lower than usual given the economy and Honda's motivation to sell, sources don't expect the list includes any automakers. (For our part, we wouldn't be surprised to see Hyundai make an offer.) Some reports suggested that Michael Schumacher - with whom Brawn built a close relationship during their tenure at Ferrari, and who races occasionally with Honda on two wheels - could get involved, but Schumi's own spokespeople have denied the rumors. For his part, Brawn has stated his number one priority is securing the jobs of the team's many employees, but even that might prove to be a tall order during these troubled times.

[Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty]

Honda F1 Roundup: Brawn, Schumacher and Ferrari originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ross Brawn, who joined the Honda F1 team as Technical Director in 2007 after an extremely successful stint across the paddock at Ferrari, has said that the now-ownerless ex-Honda F1 team he manages would like to ink a deal with its Italian competitor for engines to power its Formula 1 racers. Now that Honda has officially pulled its factory support from the program, the team will need a good, reliable powerplant if it has any chance remaining competitive, and Ferrari already supplies engines to Scuderia Toro Rosso and Force India in addition to its own Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro factory effort.

Regardless of what powerplant Brawn's team chooses, it isn't likely to get an early shot at testing. At this point, the team is just looking to stay on the track as it attempts to find itself a new buyer and any success found on the track for the '09 season would just be icing on the cake. Thanks for the tip, Eric!

[Source: F1 Fanatic - Photo: Tim Wang CC 2.0]

Ferrari may supply engines for Honda's ex-F1 team originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have you heard the one about the former F1 team that gets bought by the Mexican billionaire? Yeah, well, we heard it, too, and it's completely untrue. Not only has Carlos Slim has not bought Honda, but a spokesman makes clear that "There is no deal for the Honda team. There is neither agreement nor negotiations."

Nevertheless, Honda says it is leaving the team in good shape and everything is still moving forward. Team chief Ross Brawn said "We have enough funding to get us through to Melbourne and we still have a competitive package." Brawn also said so many folks are snooping around that they've got to sort the jokers from the serious players. Cue Dave Richards...

[Source: Eurosport]

Psych! Honda F1 not being bought by Mexican billionaire originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bruno sennaBrunoSennacarlos slimCarlosSlimf1formula 1Formula1hondahonda f1HondaF1ross brawnRossBrawnMon, 29 Dec 2008 11:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Honda F1 SOLD! to a man named Slim]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/honda-f1-sold-to-a-man-named-slim/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/honda-f1-sold-to-a-man-named-slim/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/honda-f1-sold-to-a-man-named-slim/#commentsFiled under: ,

According to La Stampa, Honda F1 has a buyer: Mexican telecom billionaire Carlos Slim Helu. Reports claim he paid the single dollar Honda was asking. He trumped Force India F1 owner Vijay Mallya, who was suspected to want the Honda team only for its tech know-how, and Prodrive's Dave Richards.

When Honda announced its immediate departure from F1 on December 4, it gave the outfit 27 days to find a bona fide buyer who would make a credible 3-year commitment to run the team. If the team did find such a purchaser, Honda said it would assist with finances and technical support. Carlos Slim has the finances and the experience: he is reportedly the second richest man in the world, and his companies are already involved in motorsport.

If the transaction proves to be true, and assuming the team gets funded properly, it will mean a few good things for the 2009 F1 season: it will add another privateer team to the grid, it will let Ross Brawn continue creating the team he's been dying to lead since he was at Ferrari, and it will return the name "Senna" to the grid. Bruno, Ayrton Senna's nephew, is sponsored by Embratel, a subsidiary of Slim's Telmex company, and will certainly replace Rubens Barrichello as the one flying the Brazilian flag.

[Source: La Stampa via My Automovil]

Honda F1 SOLD! to a man named Slim originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What goes around comes around, or so the saying goes. This is certainly true for Prodrive's front-man David Richards, who never seems to be lacking for opportunities. Having run racing programs for Subaru, Aston Martin, BMW, Porsche, MG, Alfa Romeo, Ford and Ferrari - to name just a few - Richard's Prodrive outfit was contracted by Honda to run its Formula One program, then running under the BAR banner. Honda then decided to operate the team in-house, and Richards moved towards fielding his own entry. As it turns out, neither plan panned out, and Richards is now considering leading a consortium of investors to acquire the Honda team anew.

Similar to the deal that saw Richards take the reins at Aston Martin, the veteran racing guru is talking with Investment Dar about financing the operation. Of course, Richards would assume his old role as team principal, especially given his newfound free time since Subaru canceled its partnership with Prodrive in the World Rally Championship.

[Source: Autosport.com | Image: Andreas Rentz/Getty]

Prodrive/Aston chief David Richards considering Honda F1 buy-out originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back when Alain Prost ran an F1 team, after jettisoning engines supplied by Mugen-Honda, it was Peugeot that left Jordan to sign up with Prost. Things didn't go well, and Peugeot jumped ship three years later. But it's possible that Peugeot feels it has some unfinished business in F1. Rumor has it that among the folks snooping around Honda's F1 operations is PSA, the parent company of Peugeot/Citroen. Supposedly not as hurt by the downturn as its rivals, and with F1 cost cutting in extra strength mode, PSA thinks now is the time to buy Honda's operations, benefit from Honda's promised assistance, and go head-to-head with its French rival Renault. Were such a thing to pass, speculation is that Peugeot would put Sebastien Bourdais and Jenson Button in the cockpits.

[Source: F1-Live]

Rumormill: Peugeot/Citroen to buy Honda F1? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumors yesterday indicated that Honda would be dropping out of Formula 1 for the 2009 season if a buyer wasn't quickly found. Today, CEO Takeo Fukui has made Honda's exit official. As you would imagine, racing at the top rung of motorsports is expensive, and despite the acknowledgment of such from top F1 officials and the growing sentiment that it needs to get cheaper, that's not going to happen in 2009. With global automotive sales, and therefore profits, down by alarming percentages, Honda can no longer justify its F1 racing investments and believes that the money could be better spent elsewhere. It should be noted that Honda has only had a single Grand Prix victory way back in 2006, so its significant yearly multi-million dollar investment has never really paid off anyway. An official statement from Fukui, who thanks Honda's fans for their support, is pasted after the break.

[Source: Honda, Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading Officially Official: Honda exits F1 before 2009 season

Officially Official: Honda exits F1 before 2009 season originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While we knew Formula 1 racing was an expensive venture, leave it to the 2008/2009 edition of Formula Money to spell-out the jaw-dropping finances for us. According to their latest guide, the supporting cast will shell out over $3 billion this year in team resources -- with Toyota dropping more than $445 million of it alone. McLaren is a close second at $433 million, while Ferrari rounds out the top three with $414 million coming out of pocket. If you take a look at team resources divided by points scored, each point cost Ferrari $1.9 million in 2007 (while each point cost Honda a staggering $57.2 million during the same period!). With the financial markets around the world roiled in turmoil, many are wondering when the F1 budgets are going to feel the pinch... Thanks for the tip, Keith!

[Source: F1 Fanatic]

F1 teams spent over $3 billion, Toyota the most originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yesterday we reported that Danica Patrick would test with the Honda F1 team at the end of the season. That report was a false start: Honda F1 CEO Nick Fry said there was no arrangement for Danica to test, and that she and the team have had no contact. However, Fry did say that if she wanted to test, they "would be more than happy to speak to her about it." The original source for the Danica-will-be-testing article was an Austrian newspaper interview with the same Nick Fry, which even included a time frame for the test. Something was apparently lost in translation... Thanks for the tip, NIBAL!

[Source: SpeedTV]

Correction: Honda F1 not testing Danica, but would like to originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>danica patrickdanica patrick f1DanicaPatrickDanicaPatrickF1f1formula 1Formula1honda f1HondaF1irlnick frynick fry honda f1NickFryNickFryHondaF1Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:01:00 EST<![CDATA[The next Lewis Hamilton? Honda F1 signs 16-year-old Will Stevens]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/13/the-next-lewis-hamilton-honda-f1-signs-16-year-old-will-stevens/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/13/the-next-lewis-hamilton-honda-f1-signs-16-year-old-will-stevens/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/13/the-next-lewis-hamilton-honda-f1-signs-16-year-old-will-stevens/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Imagine getting a contract with a major F1 team before you're even out of high school. That's what Lewis Hamilton got with McLaren when he was young(er), and what karting protégé Will Stevens has achieved with the Honda Racing F1 Team, reflecting a growing trend in motorsport recruitment. While team leaders have always kept an eye on feeder series like Formula 3 and, more recently, GP2, to scout up-and-coming talent, the rising level of competition has driven the teams to start earlier and earlier with their recruitment programs.

At 16 years old, Stevens has the FIA-CIK KF2 European and Asia-Pacific, International Open Masters KF2, WSK Junior ICA and MSA British Junior titles to his name, along with five national championships. He met over the weekend with Honda's Ross Brawn and Nick Fry to sign a long-term driver support agreement that will help him develop and advance through the ranks until he's ready to race in Formula One, giving David Coulthard a heads-up on the next little pischer to complain about. Details are in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Honda F1]

Continue reading The next Lewis Hamilton? Honda F1 signs 16-year-old Will Stevens

The next Lewis Hamilton? Honda F1 signs 16-year-old Will Stevens originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for high-res gallery of Honda's 1967 RA300 and new RA108

Honda has a long history in grand prix racing. The sport's first Japanese team debuted with its own home-grown chassis and engine in 1964, taking its first victory in only its second year in Formula One at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix. The original RA271 was replaced by the RA300 at the 1967 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, which John Surtees won on its maiden race. Honda withdrew from Formula One in 1969, supplied engines to various teams between 1983 and 1992 and again with British American Racing in 2000, which Honda had adopted as its own factory team by 2005 before winning the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Keen to highlight its rich heritage in Formula One, Honda came to the Geneva Motor Show with and old RA300 and its latest successor, the RA108. Compared to the 3-liter 420-hp V12 and 5-speed manual in the vintage RA300, the new RA108 is driven through a seven-speed sequential gearbox by a 2.4-liter V8 producing over 700 hp. The two cars represent over 45 years of F1 development, clearly evident in their forms that you can see for yourself in our high-resolution gallery by click-clickin' on the thumbnails below.

Gallery: Honda F1 RA300 and RA108

Geneva 2008: Honda F1 RA300 and RA108 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let's get this straight: we are fans of the Honda F1 team. As cynical as everyone else makes the friends-of-the-earth thing out to be, Honda has put its paint where its money is by excluding sponsors logos from the car. Honda's problem, though, hasn't been its sentiment -- it's been the fact that the Honda team has only won one F1 race, a wet and wild affair in Hungary in 2006.

The team's biggest move in the off-season was to put former Ferrari strategy master Ross Brawn team principal (shown above). In an additional bid to show people they're serious, keep folks at the team, and get everyone on board to win, they're offering everyone on staff -- all the way down to the Brackley factory cleaners -- a bonus of $2,000 for a win. Each win would cost the company more than $1.5 million, a price we're sure they'd be happy to pay for constructor's points, publicity, and the collective sigh of relief that would come with it. The question is, with a 2008 car that is already being described as slow, while Ferrari is breaking the pole lap records at Bahrain... when is an incentive not really an incentive?

[Source: Daily F1, Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty]

Honda F1 bosses offer the entire staff $2,000 for a win originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>formula oneFormulaOnehondahonda f1HondaF1Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Honda unveils the new RA108... now with stripes]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/29/honda-unveils-the-new-ra108-now-with-stripes/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/29/honda-unveils-the-new-ra108-now-with-stripes/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/29/honda-unveils-the-new-ra108-now-with-stripes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


click to view in high resolution

Honda Racing is the latest F1 team to officially unveil its new grand prix car with which it will be contesting the 2008 Formula One World Championship. While race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello have been shaking down the new RA108 at official test sessions, Honda left it to its new test driver Alex Wurz to unveil the car in Brackley, UK, at one of the team's three main facilities.

Although like its competitors the Honda RA108 is the culmination of many months of development, it benefits from the vast technical experience of the team's new principal Ross Brawn, former technical director at Ferrari. Brawn points out that the development of the RA108 focused on aerodynamic flexibility that will allow Honda to optimize the car's performance with a constantly-evolving aerodynamic package. In keeping with the FIA's freeze on engine development, the RA808E engine remains largely unchanged, adapting only to the new standardized engine control module while getting a new exhaust system, airbox and transmission.

Not to focus on style over substance, the unveiling also showcased the RA108's new livery, which promotes the renewed "earthdreams" campaign. Evolving from last year's "myearthdream" project, the new campagin has Honda and its sponsors pledging $1.2 million towards environmental awareness. While last year's car was covered entirely with a global motif, this year's livery appears considerably more sporting, with globe-pattern racing stripes and numbers covering the traditional Japanese racing white.

[Source: Honda Racing]

Gallery: 2008 Honda Racing RA108

Continue reading Honda unveils the new RA108... now with stripes

Honda unveils the new RA108... now with stripes originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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