With ten days to go to a somewhat arbitrary deadline, the Honda F1 team is rumored to have ensured its survival for at least the first four races of 2009. Various benefactors, including Bernie Ecclestone, the Honda motor company and a few Brazilian interests are said to be willing to contribute funds and Mercedes will provide engines on receipt of a guarantee of payment. The Brazilian connection stems from Bruno Senna gaining a drive alongside Jenson Button.
Bruno Senna in the interim Honda
Is it irony or just deja vu that I am reminded of Super Aguri's death throes last year? Ominously, the Honda B team managed four races in 2008 before collapsing in a welter of unpaid bills. Of course, this time everyone wants the Honda team to survive somehow, whereas Super Aguri's popularity dissolved in the face of economic reality - suddenly the whole venture was regarded as an obvious folly when the debt collectors arrived.
It is true that Honda has a lot more to offer the investor than did their giant-killing offshoot. The team builds its own chassis, has one of the giant reputations of F1 in Ross Brawn, promise of a competitive car for the coming season and dwindling grid numbers to encourage support from those who want the sport to remain healthy. Indeed, the lack of interest from buyers must surely be a warning of future team exits, Toro Rosso in particular.
Although these are rumors only, they must confirm earlier stories of a management takeover; there is no possibility of a last minute buyer happening along and all that remains is a desperate effort to gather enough money from benefactors and sponsors to enable the struggle to continue. It all sounds depressingly familiar to anyone aware of the usual pattern of F1 teams' dying moments. Minardi was exceptional in that it survived in such an environment for year after year - all others have expired quickly after meeting such funding problems.
So the signs are bad but it does seem that there will be a couple of ex-Hondas (what will they call them?) on the grid at Melbourne. Bruno Senna will get a shot at F1 and, hopefully, performance will be sufficient to encourage any wavering potential investors. It is an unlikely scenario, but we have to hope that Brawn has worked some magic with the latest design so that it is quick without having been tested over the off season. It is a faint hope at best, however.
Totally irrelevant news snippet that I cannot resist
From the Pitpass newsletter this week: "...Mike Lawrence has to have already won the 2009 Quote of the Year Award for his recent comment about Max Mosley being the only person in F1 who has literally been strapped for cash. "