So, against all odds, the Formula One team formerly known as Honda will be on the grid this season after all, renamed Brawn Grand Prix.
The on-off-on saga of whether or not a buyer would be found for the team has dragged on for months, with all sorts of people, including Richard Branson, rumoured to be involved. As it’s turned out, the outcome which always seemed most likely, that of a management buy-out led by former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn, is what has come to pass.
Honda are now Brawn..
Despite the uncertainty surrounding it, the team has continued to work on this year’s car – to be known as the Brawn BGP 001 – and has secured an engine deal with Mercedes, which also supplies McLaren and Force India this year as well. The driver line-up will remain the same as at Honda last year, with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.
It's nice to have the team in F1
Button is rumoured to have taken a 50 per cent pay cut in order to keep his Formula One career alive while Barrichello, the most experienced GP driver ever, is something of a surprise, since Bruno Senna, nephew of the great Ayrton, had been expected to make his F1 debut with the team and has been hanging on in hope instead of pursuing other possibilities. As a result, Senna is going to be scratching around for a drive of any sort this year and is said to be somewhat miffed at the situation.
Cast out? Senna won't be smiling anymore
Brawn, however, feels that having two experienced drivers will outweigh the advantages of having a young charger on board. “The vast experience and knowledge that both drivers bring to our team will prove invaluable as we aim to get up to speed in the shortest possible time to be ready for the first race of the season,” he said. “In what will be their fourth season together, their experience with our team in Brackley, our systems and our engineers, will prove a real asset.”
Brawn wants experience in his team
But is it all going to be worth it? Every other F1 team has been out testing its cars over the last few weeks while Honda, sorry Brawn, has had to sit at home, waiting. With a raft of new regulations this year and radically different cars to get used to, plus the fact that there will be a ban on testing once the season is underway, it is bound to leave the resurrected team struggling on the back foot. Do Button and Barrichello really want to endure another season pootling around at the back of the field while the team tries to sort out a brand new car?
But will they see any of this?
Even so, Bernie Ecclestone must be breathing a sigh of relief as it means that at least there will be ten teams on the grid this year. He, and others, have been working behind the scenes to help ensure the old Honda team’s survival, something Brawn paid tribute to when announcing the restructuring of the team.
“It would be impossible to mention all of the people without whom today’s announcement may not have been possible,” he said. “However, I would like to express particular appreciation for the support we have received from Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de L’Automobile), FOM (Formula One Management), FOTA (Formula One Teams Association), BERR (the UK’s Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform), Bridgestone, our other team partners and our many fans the world over.
“The journey ahead will be challenging but exciting and we know we can count on their continued enthusiasm for our team and its ambitions.”
Bernie's been sorting stuff out behind the scenes
Brawn GP will be attending the remaining pre-season testing session at Barcelona starting 9 March and Jerez starting 15 March. The first race of the new Formula One season is the Australian Grand Prix on 29 March.
