Honda Rescued!

[Insider 0]

Yes, as far as I know, you're the only person so far to bother writing anything in his profile! Well worth a look. I'm still in the Christmas spirit of peace to all men, so I sincerely hope by now you've recovered from the shame of going to Oxford.

Someone has to.

[Insider 0]

Alright, Insider, I went over my posts and, though I'm known to wax arrogant from time to time, I just don't see it in this thread. I've ventured a different opinion on a few points, but that's what a forum is all about. As a matter of fact, I've been, at least three times, shoe-horned into opinions I never expressed (elitist crap, anyone?) just to trigger a true 'rant' against what I was imagined to have said! I was quite clear in my stance regarding the Honda F1 team and, for all your Oxford education, I would expect you to realize an opposing opinion to yours is not 'arrogance'. If anything, what you're getting from me is the immense confidence I have when discussing F1.

As to your profile, Insider, I commend you on achieving what you have so far in life, however none of that makes your opinions here sacrosanct (notice I said 'opinions'...I have no problem with the facts you've presented). You've said that you've never claimed to be an 'insider' yet you choose that very term as your screen name here and you, in this very thread, repeatedly cite your 'sources'. Then you take the time to write a profile that would make many of us here wish we could write (me included, truth to tell) but it smacks to me, just a bit, of a narcissistic, 'big-fish-in-a-small-pond' attitude from you. The sense I have of this is heightened by you flinging that profile out when your opinions aren't being agreed with.

Look, you're an asset to this forum and whatever insider information you provide is very interesting to the rest of us, and I'd like to think you landed here because you like us and want a good place to chat F1. If that's the case, welcome aboard.

EDIT: I was a bit p!ssed when I wrote this and later took out something that seemed a bit harsh...

I am just a guy who has been lucky enough to have had a good life and got do what I wanted to. Self-promotion, for it's own sake is my not aim in life and I do not believe I am better than others here. Furthermore, I do not consider that my comments and opinions should be accepted without argument; after all, this is a forum. You have me wrong, sir. I agree that my 'profile' may be construed as something of a 'cosh'. It was intended to be informing rather than intimidating. I will remove it today. Let's move on.

[Medilloni 6]

Yes, as far as I know, you're the only person so far to bother writing anything in his profile! Well worth a look. I'm still in the Christmas spirit of peace to all men, so I sincerely hope by now you've recovered from the shame of going to Oxford.

Yeah Graham, it's a shame it takes some tinsel and tear-jerkers on the telly to remind us of peace among men, and especially girlies. Now fcuk off whilst I think of something to to say in my profile - could take me a while to remember that far back

Seriously, I like the idea of the profile - though I wonder if it helps people form an opinion of us, good or bad

[Quiet One 15]

I am just a guy who has been lucky enough to have had a good life and got do what I wanted to. Self-promotion, for it's own sake is my not aim in life and I do not believe I am better than others here. Furthermore, I do not consider that my comments and opinions should be accepted without argument; after all, this is a forum. You have me wrong, sir. I agree that my 'profile' may be construed as something of a 'cosh'. It was intended to be informing rather than intimidating. I will remove it today. Let's move on.

I was waiting for you two to get...acquainted

@Sid: no need to remove your profile, like Muzza said, it is good to see that someone actually makes use of it. Mike (Autumnpuma) also has a point when he says that it comes as a bit arrogant but don't worry, most of us are so so I think you will fit in nicely

As for Mike, he is imho one of our most valued assets here, even if he has this little problem, he thinks that this guy Lewis might become a WDC sometime...I hope he gets over it soon.

Glad to see you took the initial flak withut bailing out. Most of us had to go through it. I don't agree with some of your posts but I love disagreeing with people.

Hey, maybe I should resurrect what I did a couple of years ago and give a quick "Who is who" in this forums

[pabloh20 1]

I have never claimed to be an 'Insider' - I just happened to work in the business for a while and am still in touch with some of my erstwhile contemporaries. It's all in my profile. Examine and probe as you wish. I play rock 'n roll for a living now - what's your excuse for being so condescending and arrogant?

We need an excuse??? Now you tell me

[Fed up 0]

I have never claimed to be an 'Insider' - I just happened to work in the business for a while and am still in touch with some of my erstwhile contemporaries. It's all in my profile. Examine and probe as you wish. I play rock 'n roll for a living now - what's your excuse for being so condescending and arrogant?

I've read your profile and it is very impressive indeed. No need to get upset with Puma he's one of the good guys around here and has some very good perspectives on matters F1. We really do need guys like you, puma, ME, drib, abbas, rainmaster, (whisper) the accents, jem, Meds, meanni, team f1, (even) Dof, Steph, mika, Murray, Pabloh, Brad and whoever I haven't mentioned that is on the same wavelength of most on here.

Let's all get on and grow the community

[Kopite Girl 0]

I've read your profile and it is very impressive indeed. No need to get upset with Puma he's one of the good guys around here and has some very good perspectives on matters F1. We really do need guys like you, puma, ME, drib, abbas, rainmaster, (whisper) the accents, jem, Meds, meanni, team f1, (even) Dof, Steph, mika, Murray, Pabloh, Brad and whoever I haven't mentioned that is on the same wavelength of most on here.

Let's all get on and grow the community

Thanks, Fed Up. And happy new year to ya.

[Insider 0]

I've read your profile and it is very impressive indeed. No need to get upset with Puma he's one of the good guys around here and has some very good perspectives on matters F1. We really do need guys like you, puma, ME, drib, abbas, rainmaster, (whisper) the accents, jem, Meds, meanni, team f1, (even) Dof, Steph, mika, Murray, Pabloh, Brad and whoever I haven't mentioned that is on the same wavelength of most on here.

Let's all get on and grow the community

OK. Thanks for the support - from everyone who has commented. I do come off as a little arrogant - it goes with the territory - you have to be something of a showoff to play music to people in public. That's not an excuse, it's a reason. Of course, I don't mean to be - I'm soft as s##t, really! Let's rock on.

[monza gorilla 1]

Group hug.

[pabloh20 1]

Group hug.

Steph's in the thread, can we not have a group snog instead??

[Insider 0]

Group hug.

The Motors like in Airport?

[Insider 0]

I think I’ve unraveled some of the knots in the seemingly unending Brackley saga. Ross is virtually saying he doesn’t necessarily have to be part of the package a potential investor would have to fund. However, even ‘Chopper’ Richards wouldn’t be silly enough to let him go - at any cost. Fry is surplus to requirements at Brackley know and basically, unemployable elsewhere, IMHO. Button. Whatever opinion you may have of this chap, there aren’t many of his type to the pound available in the current driver market. For me, he is still an exciting package. Massively quick in the right ride and smooth as silk on the right boots. He doesn’t hurt cars or tyres, he just can’t set a bloody car up to save his life! Well, he isn’t the first. Get him some help in that department, put him in a Brawn chassis with a Maranello lump and some sticky slicks and watch him boogie! That’s what everyone at Brackley believes, I can tell you. JB will race for peanuts until the car comes good, I can tell you that too. There are key folk at Brackley who would have to stay too if Ross does. So, it’s not the total bargain the press and some potential buyers may think it is. To run it right, even with cuts here and there, I figure you need 40% of last year’s budget next year and 60% in 2010 if you want to win all the gongs in 2011. That’s a fair piece of change for anyone to risk right now and certainly the reason for such protracted deliberations, I would imagine.

[monza gorilla 1]

The Motors like in Airport?

The very same. Haven't played any of their stuff for years. It's all your fault, y'know .

Edit: I think you're right about the boy from Frome not being able to set up a car. Then again, neither could Ronnie Peterson.

[The Rumble Strip 0]

What a good tune that was.

[Medilloni 6]

The very same. Haven't played any of their stuff for years. It's all your fault, y'know .

Edit: I think you're right about the boy from Frome not being able to set up a car. Then again, neither could Ronnie Peterson.

Agreed x2 about the setting up, keeps good company with Kimi

[The Rumble Strip 0]

Nor could Hamilton last season, allegedly.

Doesn

[Rainmaster 7]

Agreed x2 about the setting up, keeps good company with Kimi

And we just became friends

Nor could Hamilton last season, allegedly.

Doesn't hinder you much then I see.

Hmm, indeed, possibly.

[The Rumble Strip 0]

I was only quoting press stories about him.

Myself, I would have thought that McLaren schooling and racing junior formula would give you a reasonable grounding in such matters, which with your race engineer shouldn

[Insider 0]

The very same. Haven't played any of their stuff for years. It's all your fault, y'know .

Edit: I think you're right about the boy from Frome not being able to set up a car. Then again, neither could Ronnie Peterson.

Exactly. But Ronnie was good enough for Colin Chapman, eh? Nick and Andy were in Ducks Deluxe with me before they left to form the Motors - that's why I asked.

[Medilloni 6]

And we just became friends

You noticed? I just found a way to do it quick and went friend shopping, I've got a shedful now

[monza gorilla 1]

Exactly. But Ronnie was good enough for Colin Chapman, eh? Nick and Andy were in Ducks Deluxe with me before they left to form the Motors - that's why I asked.

Found a clip of Ducks Deluxe today on youtube. clicky Assume that was you on vocals.

[Insider 0]

Found a clip of Ducks Deluxe today on youtube. clicky Assume that was you on vocals.

Singing nice and flat at the end of 60 days on the road - and on the Old Grey Whistle Test, to boot - yes, I am afraid it was. I cringe when I see stuff like that - ugh!

[Rainmaster 7]

Exactly. But Ronnie was good enough for Colin Chapman, eh? Nick and Andy were in Ducks Deluxe with me before they left to form the Motors - that's why I asked.

Perfect time to post this lovely video clip. I like very much.

You noticed? I just found a way to do it quick and went friend shopping, I've got a shedful now

Well I got an email, so I thought I'd better accept, we are now mutual friends

[Insider 0]

Perfect time to post this lovely video clip. I like very much.

Well I got an email, so I thought I'd better accept, we are now mutual friends

Great clip. Good job.

[Insider 0]

This from Autosport this morning:

Honda Racing chiefs are now in discussions with their parent company bosses in Tokyo about which of the 12 serious parties interested in buying the team they should progress talks with, autosport.com can reveal. Although it was previously thought that there were only a handful of candidates who had expressed an interest in buying the team, Honda Racing's CEO Nick Fry has revealed that there has been a far greater number of parties who have come forward.

Speaking from the Cleaner Racing Conference at the Autosport International Show about the progress of talks, Fry told autosport.com: "It's looking very positive at the moment. We had, as you might expect, a huge amount of interest at the start - probably well in excess of 30 groups came to us.

"We have narrowed that down to something in the region of a dozen, and we're currently talking to Honda about what is the best bet for the future."

Fry said that the progress of talks so far had increased his optimism about a deal coming off - with him confessing that he did not share the initial complete confidence others had in Honda finding a buyer when news on their pullout was announced in December.

"Right at the start of this process Bernie Ecclestone said that he was 100 percent confident that we'd be on the grid in Melbourne, and I have to say that I wasn't quite so sure where his confidence came from.

"But as we've gone through this process, my confidence based on what we've seen has increased - maybe not to 100 percent, but it's pretty close. And it has been very gratifying.

"We are in a very unusual situation at the moment. This is not a situation like some of the smaller teams that have fallen by the wayside, which frankly had an entry on the grid but did not have much in the way of technology, or in the way of engineering substance.

"The one thing that we have benefited from, to a level which is difficult to exaggerate, is the amount of money, effort and skill that Honda have put into this.

"We've got a team that have benefited from 75 million pounds worth of capital investment in the last three years.

"They have probably got some of the best automotive and other technology in the country, if not the world, and it has got an immensely highly-skilled technical staff, obviously led by Ross [brawn]. So there is a huge amount going for it."

He added: "I think this is really, and many of the potential owners have been kind enough to talk about it as, an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to get something which does have the opportunity to do very well in the next couple of years. So far, so good.

"In this economic environment it is difficult, there is no doubt about it, and we've got to be careful that we look not just at 2009, which frankly is the least of our worries. It really is making sure that we have got a long-term future for the staff.

"Neither Ross nor I want to stand there and say that everything is fine if in one or two years' time we fall flat on our face again. So we are really looking towards a two, three, (even) five year plan for the team."