Honda Rescued!

[Insider 0]

Mercedes ready to consider engine deal with Honda

After Ferrari publicly denied interest in supplying the Honda F1 team with engines for the 2009 season, it seems that there still might be hope for the Brackley based squad with Mercedes being open to a posible engine supply deal between the two. But in todays weak and fragile economy, Mercedes must be sure that the deal is financially sound and reliable, says president Norbert Haug.

"If there is a feasible solution with an investor for that team, we would be prepared to discuss it," Haug commented to 'autosport', "But the financial feasibility is very important. It needs to be 100 per cent bulletproof."

Haug also had this to say about the companies ability to take on another powetrain customer; "This is not ideal timing. We have lots to do with KERS and the new rev limit and so on, which is a really big task."

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I really didn't get it, does this mean that the KERS developed by Honda last year will go down the drain?

I would say that depends on how compatible KERS needs to be to a particular engine system. Also in Post #239 of this topic, I discussed the possibility that Mercedes may not be the final solution for the Brackley mob. There appears to be much unrest in the camp, with Fry spoiling any deal that is not advantageous to him and meddling in other areas like engine supply. There are ten weeks to go and if the infighting continues, as it seems to have, despite the arrival of a senior manager from Tokyo, the goal of being in Melbourne will, I believe, become unachievable. Whether there has been a management 'buy-out' or there is a new owner in the wings matters not. The clock is running and Fry is still jerking off - that's the reality. There appears to be more heading for the drain than KERS - a destination Nick Fry should have been dispatched to a long time ago, methinks.

[Insider 0]

There appears to be some sort of spoof web site at: www.vmkracing.com that pitpass.com suggests might have Fry behind it. Whatever next? VMK? Vijay Mallya Kingfisher? It's getting silly now.

[Ash1 0]

I'm sure mrs dribs gets the same. At least she's not in it for the 'you know what'

[dribbler 6]

Yeah, love is great. You'll know what I mean when you grow pubic hair and stop f*cking teddy bears.

[mikathegreat2 2]

Yeah, love is great. You'll know what I mean when you grow pubic hair and stop f*cking teddy bears.

I did'nt know Ash was Lewis Hamilton!

[Kopite Girl 0]

Mercedes ready to consider engine deal with Honda

After Ferrari publicly denied interest in supplying the Honda F1 team with engines for the 2009 season, it seems that there still might be hope for the Brackley based squad with Mercedes being open to a posible engine supply deal between the two. But in todays weak and fragile economy, Mercedes must be sure that the deal is financially sound and reliable, says president Norbert Haug.

"If there is a feasible solution with an investor for that team, we would be prepared to discuss it," Haug commented to 'autosport', "But the financial feasibility is very important. It needs to be 100 per cent bulletproof."

Haug also had this to say about the companies ability to take on another powetrain customer; "This is not ideal timing. We have lots to do with KERS and the new rev limit and so on, which is a really big task."

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I really didn't get it, does this mean that the KERS developed by Honda last year will go down the drain?

No, it just means that McSh#theads want the ins and outs of it by doing the engine deal with Honda.

If Jenson ends up driving a McSh#thead engine, I will post naked pictures of Murray up on this forum.

[Insider 0]

Yeah, love is great. You'll know what I mean when you grow pubic hair and stop f*cking teddy bears.

Er, you guys in the right topic - or are you just WEIRD!!!?

[Medilloni 6]

Er, you guys in the right topic - or are you just WEIRD!!!?

Ah Sean, you have much to learn before you can leave the monastery, a better class of weird presides here

Hey Steph..

If Jenson ends up driving a McSh#thead engine, I will post naked pictures of Murray up on this forum.

...it's most certainly going to happen, I'm glad Jense will be driving something with a better engine than the Honduh lump, I'm slightly concerned about seeing Murray nekid, could you warn us first?

[dribbler 6]

If Jenson ends up driving a McSh#thead engine, I will post naked pictures of Murray up on this forum.

Haug, do the right thing.

Er, you guys in the right topic - or are you just WEIRD!!!?

Us goldfish do not take kindly to such accusations.

[The Rumble Strip 0]

So do McLaren want the Honda KERS system then.

[Quiet One 15]

So do McLaren want the Honda KERS system then.

Yup. You might think that just getting the blueprints and photocopy them would be cheaper. But the last time they tried that it costed them 100,000,000 euros so they decided that it is easier to just buy up the team.

[The Rumble Strip 0]

Either way, things are sounding more promising for Honda this week.

[tifosi too! 0]

Yup. You might think that just getting the blueprints and photocopy them would be cheaper. But the last time they tried that it costed them 100,000,000 euros so they decided that it is easier to just buy up the team.

Excellent !!

Lets hope they buy it out anyway!

By the way, if Honda made a "spot decision" to quit, as they say, how come they didn't have an engine ready by December?

I 'm pretty sure they built the damn thing as well as their notorious KERS!

Why don't they supply the new buyer and thus make the team a lot more attractive to sell?

They already spent million on research and building the whole car, why not minimize the damage by selling everything ?

[The Rumble Strip 0]

Good point, given engine freezes.

The new car must have been well on it's way by that point.

[pabloh20 1]

Yup. You might think that just getting the blueprints and photocopy them would be cheaper. But the last time they tried that it costed them 100,000,000 euros so they decided that it is easier to just buy up the team.

That's ridiculous. All you have to do is put the blueprints on your mainframe and if anyone finds out just say 'Well bollock me, how did they get there? Awful sorry, Spanky, but honestly we weren't going to use them' and then you don't have to pay a thing.

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer 4]

....and stop f*cking teddy bears.

Yeah, b*stards, I hate teddy bears and think we should stop them too!

[Insider 0]

Yup. You might think that just getting the blueprints and photocopy them would be cheaper. But the last time they tried that it costed them 100,000,000 euros so they decided that it is easier to just buy up the team.

That was funny!

[Max Mosley 2]

Haug, do the right thing.

So funny!

[mikathegreat2 2]

If Jenson ends up driving a McSh#thead engine, I will post naked pictures of Murray up on this forum.

Wohooooooo!!!!!

[dribbler 6]

Yeah, b*stards, I hate teddy bears and think we should stop them too!

It's their f*cking quiffs and their f*cking love of Eddie Cochran. Oh no, sorry, that's teddy boys.

[Jez 0]

The Honda Racing Formula One team seems to be in further trouble with reports emerging in the Daily Mail this morning that the Department of trade and Industry have been asked to investigate claims that current team boss Nick Fry is one of the interested parties in the one pound purchase of the Brackley based squad.

It appears as if team members have requested the investigation as the cut-off date for purchase rapidly approaches and no deal has been done. With a January 31st deadline, Fry, who is in charge of fielding the offers, claims that that he has whittled the enquiries down to twelve serious bidders.

With reports that Fry is also interested in purchasing the team, current staff members are concerned that it represents a conflict of interest, putting the possible sale in severe jeopardy, as well as their futures.

[HandyNZL 1]

Farck - you mean to say I could've bought my very own F1 team for one pound.....????????

[Insider 0]

Alas, I think the alleged entry of the DTI will come too late for the people at Brackley. The whole deal is so heavily tainted now. It is definitely time for Fry to s##t or get off the pot, that's for sure! Nevertheless, this is very much the kind of development that sharks gather in large numbers for and you just might see someone swim up and take a bite.

[Insider 0]

It's their f*cking quiffs and their f*cking love of Eddie Cochran. Oh no, sorry, that's teddy boys.

Oi! I've just seen this - what's wrong with Eddie Cochran? He was my hero, man!

Check out Little Barrie on MySpace/YouTube. I figure these kids will rule the world - takes me back to my youth, it does!

[Insider 0]

And on it goes............

Honda Racing CEO Nick Fry has totally dismissed suggestions about a conflict of interest in him trying to find a buyer for the team, as he denied reports on Friday that his talks to sell the outfit were subject to a government investigation. A report in the Daily Mail on Friday said that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were investigating Fry's role in the sale of the team - amid suggestions he could be favouring himself as part of a management buyout.

However, the team and the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) that replaced that DTI last year, have totally dismissed the claims of an investigation into the sale.

And Fry claims that suggestions of an investigation could be part of a plot to scupper talks to save the team. Furthermore, he said the final say over who buys the team would be decided by his parent company Honda and not by him alone.

"I would like to make clear that Honda Motor Company, as the owners of the Honda Racing F1 Team, will decide on the future of our team following their decision to withdraw from Formula One," Fry told autosport.com.

"At all times during the process of securing the future of the team, senior managers from Honda Motor Company have been present at our HQ in Brackley to assist in making decisions and we have taken legal advice at all times, to ensure no conflict of interest.

"It is evident that attempts are being made by external parties to frustrate this process. However, we will not be deterred from our focus of securing a positive future for the team and its 700 employees and achieving our target of lining up on the grid in Melbourne for the start of the 2009 season."

The Daily Mail's story indicated that some of the team's staff had contacted the Daventry MP Tim Boswell about their concerns over the team's future, and that the Conservative minister had subsequently contacted the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

A spokesperson for BERR ruled out any talk of them looking into the Honda situation.

"We have not received a letter from the MP Tim Boswell and we have not been requested to investigate anything," the spokesperson told autosport.com. "Furthermore this is a purely commercial matter and would be unlikely to involve us anyway."

Honda Racing also denied any knowledge of the investigation, but did reveal that they had been in contact with the BERR since the team were put up for sale in December last year.

"We have had meetings with BERR over the future of the team on several occasions over the last month and they have been kept fully informed of the status of any negotiations," the team stated.

"Honda has not received notice of any inquiry because we know that none has been requested. We have also received confirmation from BERR that they have not received a letter from Mr Boswell."