Whilst at the Motorsport Business Forum in Monaco, Nick Fry has pretty much confirmed that the group launch will be going ahead. He said:
"I wouldn't wish to spill the beans on what we are going to do, but it is going to be hugely initiative. It is going to be a clear demonstration of how we are going to be working together. We are not all going off and doing our own individual launches, so we can do something that is a lot more customer friendly."
FOTA are apparently meeting up in Monaco later to finalise the details.
Update: Autosport are reporting this evening that teams unanimously approved plans for a single group launch in the Spanish City of Valencia.
January has been pencilled in and the next few weeks will be spent working out the format for the event.
We have reached yet another Friday, and that means it is the end of the week. Hurrah for Fridays. We had a nice quiet non-news day yesterday, which is exactly what we all needed, and I am hoping the weekend will hold more of the same. Meanwhile, here's how we're keeping ourselves occupied:
We finally posted the F1 Debrief show of our day out at Brooklands thanks to Jackie. It's taken a while to come together, but it's a good guide to how the event unfolded with some bonus audio from those speaking on stage, including Ross Brawn and Lewis Hamilton.
If that just increases your appetite for all things Debrief, then perhaps you can spare some time to recall your favourite moments on the show this year, and note them on the wiki? Get this, I even give my permission for you to look through the archives. Just this once.
Finally, in the spirit of at least some F1 news, Nick Fry spoke out yesterday about not releasing Button from his contract before it expires naturally. We mentioned this in F1 Minute, and posted a rather scary photo of the man (Fry, not Button) on the Big Picture as well.
That'll do it for now. Don't forget, the Friday Fun game will be along in a few hours, if you feel like having a go at something a little bit silly for the last day of the week. I will see you in the comments.
It's Thursday already, and whilst this is not a revered day amongst the Sidepodcommunity, we are hurtling towards the Goodwood weekend. A few people are heading to the Festival of Speed, and I bet the excitement is building. Don't forget to leave us a voicemail from the grounds, if you are going: 0121 28 87225. Meanwhile, here's what we're talking about:
Timo Glock has revealed his optimistic side by suggesting that it isn't out of the realms of possibility that Toyota could win a race this year. That's actually as far as he goes though, admitting that he's careful when it comes to talking about the team's first win. I guess he doesn't want to jinx it?
On the subject of wins, Nick Fry has come out in support of Barrichello saying that he is overdue a win. I've just realised that we see a lot less of Mr Fry since he had to stop wearing those green trousers. It's much better that he is behind the scenes, wouldn't you say?
My new mini series started yesterday, so if you haven't heard it yet, please check out F1 Safety - Helmets and Clothing. There will be six more short shows over the next few nights, so we'll be covering all sorts of safety aspects of the sport.
That's it for now. As ever, feel free to discuss what's on your mind, and don't feel constrained by what I've mentioned above. I'll see you in the comments.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
When the news first emerged that the team formerly known as Honda was being bought out by Ross Brawn, the immediate feeling was one of relief. We need all the teams on the grid, and the more drivers there are, the more exciting the races is. Plus, no one wants to see a driver or engineer's career over like that, it just isn't fair.
Now that the initial hurrah has quietened down, the team are still making headlines by being particularly strong in testing. On their first day with the other competitors in Barcelona, Button led the timesheets for a large portion of the session. He ended the day fourth, but the team had a strong showing on the second day, and were topping the timesheets by the end of the third. Brawn has admitted that this isn't a surprise to him. Honda always said that they were sacrificing 2008 performance in order to concentrate on 2009, knowing that the massive regulation changes would even the playing field somewhat. Brawn says we are just seeing a manifestation of that.
Regarding the status of the team, Brawn concedes that the management buyout is only a medium term option, but was the only possible way to secure the future for all the employees. He has also confirmed the management team helping him out, which includes Nick Fry, who retains his role as CEO.
Button was always signed up to drive with the team, having committed to them last year. Brawn says that if there was any possible way, they wanted to honour the contract they held with him. Regarding Senna, Brawn says they were impressed by him, but circumstances worked against him, as they wanted the experience of Barrichello, and the ability for both drivers to jump in the car with very little learning curve.
Finally, Ross talks about the decision to go with a Mercedes engine, and said the final factor that saw him opt for those over Ferrari motors was the fact that it fitted the chassis better. With such a short time to get the engine fitted and running within the car, Brawn GP needed all the support they could get, and Ross is happy with the relationship they have with Mercedes.
So, for now, things are looking good. The team are set to work hard this year, and hopefully produce at least better results than Honda could achieve. They need to attract some sponsors and secure the future, but in the short term, it's simply an achievement to be on the grid in Australia.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
It's taken a few months, and we have all been following their progress carefully, but now the speculation has come to an end. Ross Brawn has officially taken over Honda Racing, with a 100% buyout.
Now known as Brawn GP, the team have a website and an official press release has been posted on there giving details of the team and thanks to everyone involved. It was released in the early hours of Friday morning, and confirms just some of the details we already knew.
Mercedes will supply the team with engines for the 2009 season, and both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will return to the cars. Brawn thanks everyone at Brackley for their hard work in keeping the team alive, plus FOM, the FIA and FOTA for their continued support.
Nick Fry was present at the FOTA press conference yesterday, and gave a hint that the team had been saved and an announcement would be coming very soon. He mentioned the livery would be blue and red, although the hastily put together website for Brawn GP features black and yellow. Nick Fry doesn't seem to have been mentioned in the press release for Brawn GP so far, though, so his involvement is as yet unknown.
The only real questions left are whether the car will be able to at least keep up with the others, if not be competitive. They have missed out an awful lot of testing, but are due to shakedown the new car at Silverstone in private, before perhaps turning up in Barcelona and Jerez for the final tests.
Bringing back two very experienced drivers will help, and both Button and Barrichello will be able to wrestle the most out of the car. Brawn has also played some very smart strategy games in the past during races that have seen points hauls and even podiums. He will no doubt be continuing this practice in 2009.
Nevertheless, how competitive the team are for this first year isn't of utmost importance. They need to be visual enough to get sponsors, but winning isn't everything. Being on the grid, after we were all so worried we'd lost yet another entry, is the best start to the year a team could have.
Each week that goes by, I am getting more and more proof that Thursdays are evil. However, it is now Friday so it is bound to be a good day. Here's what we've been talking about recently:
Honda are (almost certainly) saved! What I'm really interested in, apart from the fact that it looks like Nick Fry is sticking around, is the blue and red livery that is purported to be their chosen colours. We don't know the name of the team, but we know what colour they will be. Do blue and red even go together?
FOTA had some serious suggestions yesterday, with plenty of focus on the difference the sporting regulations can make to the spectacle, and how they need to be more accessible to the fans. If you haven't already, share your thoughts on the suggestions, whether they are enough, whether they'll work, and more importantly, whether they'll be accepted or not.
Don't forget that today is the last day you can sign up for the Batracer 1986 game. If you were signed up to the game already, you may need to re-sign to the new one, otherwise, you might want to join in the fun. The password is 'bourdais' and the game will be kicking off at some point today.
That should keep us going for the last day before the weekend. As ever, let us know if you're up to anything exciting once Friday is over, and while you do, I'll see you in the comments.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
Any news about Honda at the moment needs to come with a big disclaimer saying unconfirmed, because as yet, there has been no official word on what's happening with the team. However there has been some speculation forming plenty of rumours, and any one of them could be true. Here's a quick round-up of what's been happening:
Management Buyout Last time we checked in with Honda, it looked like Nick Fry might be heading up a management buyout, and this was causing all sorts of controversy over ethical procedures. From what we can tell, this was progressing nicely, until some new bids were entered and this had to be halted. It's unclear at the moment whether the deal is completely off the table, presumably this depends on what happens with the other potential buyers.
Bruno Senna and Sponsors After things had been quiet for a while, it was suddenly rumoured that Bruno Senna would be teaming up with Button and the team would be saved. Senna would be bringing plenty of Brazilian sponsorship money with him, and Honda could fund the team rather than suffer the expense of so many redundancies. However, some of the sponsors have said this isn't true, and it seems as though - although Senna may or may not drive for the team in 2009 - he won't be their saviour.
Virgin F1 The latest speculation rests on Richard Branson, head of the Virgin empire, being the latest bidder. His spokespeople issued something of a denial, stating that he was constantly being linked with the subject. That isn't really a denial, of course, but that doesn't mean we can read anything into it, either. Branson would bring a certain spark to the team. He has a talent for picking up a business and turning it around, but his longevity within the sport would be questionable. The Virgin brand has tried it's hand at so many different markets, there's nothing to say that Formula 1 would be one that stuck.
As I said at the start, these are just rumours and there is nothing concrete to go on. Whilst it's obvious that business deals at this level require some discretion, it is starting to get frustrating. The lack of official news is worrying, and time is ticking ever closer to the first Grand Prix of the season.
This bumper post-New Year show runs through all the latest news and launches, catches up with the latest Sidepodtour events, and features a record number of calls.
Intro
We're back, and most likely, we've forgotten how to do this. Hope we kept you entertained whilst the live show was off air though.
Good Week / Bad Week
It's been a good week for Red Bull drivers, as Buemi is confirmed at STR, and Webber is all set to get back in the car. Meanwhile, Davidson is having a rough week revealing all about Honda, and Massa is worrying about numbers.
News and Views
We discuss the latest updates in the ongoing Honda saga, particularly Nick Fry's involvement. We also take a look at Donington Park now they've got the planning permission they so craved, and of course, we run through the three launches - Ferrari, Toyota and McLaren.
Sidepodtour
The Sidepodtour took us to Autosport International but we weren't particularly impressed with what we saw. Very little in the way of Formula 1 involvement, and it looks like the credit crunch is hitting hard.
Fantasy Racers
We tell you how to join up, plus indulge in our annual shout out to everyone who has signed up for a team already. If you haven't, get signed up now and we can shout you out on the next show.
Your Call
The new segment that replaces Feedback features a record number of Skype callers: Alex, Scott, R.G, Steven Roy, Alex (again), Lukeh, Jeremy and Andy. Plus, there's an email from Keith the Marshal, we talk about the awards, and focus on the Facebook group.
If there was a drought of Formula 1 news before, then the flood gates have well and truly opened today. Autosport International kicked off for the press, and we've heard from a few paddock people already. It's not just limited to Birmingham, though, there's news coming in from all over the world.
Dave Richards is apparently not buying Honda now, having hinted that the cost-cutting improvements won't begin to show until 2010, and he's not interested in Formula 1 when it is this expensive. Nick Fry says there are still plenty of people in the running - 12 in fact. Where did they all come from, and who are they?
Motorsport Aragon - a new track in Spain - is hoping to get on the F1 testing roster. It seems as though there will be more test tracks than racing events soon. The question is, with two Spanish races on the calendar, and Valencia a very poor one, is Aragon hoping to be a replacement?
Pedro de la Rosa, known as Pedalo round these parts, believes he's still got a chance at an F1 drive. He's fallen into the testing trap at McLaren, but holds out hope (and is sure that) one day he will return to the grid. Really, Pedalo? Really?
As ever, I'll end today's Daily post with a request. Please vote for us in the 2008 Weblog Awards. We're up for two categories, so that's just two clicks, and then I'll let you get on with your day.
Thank you in advance for your clicks, and I'll see you in the comments.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
Since they announced their withdrawal from the sport, Honda have been in the headlines almost non stop. Even over Christmas, when F1 news was scarce, there were still rumours about Honda circulating the web. Let's take a look at what's happened so far, and where we are now.
Three or Four Interested Parties Almost immediately, Nick Fry announced that his phone had been ringing non stop and they had at least three genuine potential buyers who had registered their interest. The number has floated around three, with sometimes as many as four being mentioned and sometimes it falling to two. There have been no names confirmed, but the speculation over who it could be is interesting to watch. Prodrive boss Dave Richards is in the frame, as his previous entry to F1 was unsuccessful. There is also talk that Force India boss Vijay Mallya could want another team, the same way that Red Bull have two. These are just guesses though, as Honda are being very tight-lipped about who has approached them.
Carlos Slim is Not Buying Just after Christmas, a very believable rumour began that saw Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim as the new owner. It was said that Slim had been spotted landing his helicoptor at the Brackley factory (clearing the car park to do so) and was all raedy to take over. However, this has since been denied by both the team and Slim himself. He has never spoken to the team and is not interested in the sport.
Brawn Optimistic About the Future Ross Brawn has spoken out suggesting that the main priority within the team at the moment is to secure the future - to ensure that the employees keep their jobs. He has even said that if it means stepping aside himself, he will do so. Brawn admits that he approached Ferrari for an engine, as his connections allowed him to do so. There is no deal confirmed them as yet, but perhaps we will know more when the team find a buyer. Brawn is optimistic this will happen, but admits the car will be unlikely to do any testing over the winter. This could be bad news, heading into a year where in-season testing is banned. However, as Brawn says, it is more important to secure the future of the team, than to aim for the top of a grid you won't appear on.
