Richards NOT buying Honda
Discussion
flemke said:
He could be betting that he'll have a better opportunity to buy a team in the next couple of years. As he says, he could want to see things shake out and become more definitive.
Alternatively, it's possible that his backers aren't there with the readies anymore.
I would suggest the latter....Alternatively, it's possible that his backers aren't there with the readies anymore.
Scuffers said:
flemke said:
He could be betting that he'll have a better opportunity to buy a team in the next couple of years. As he says, he could want to see things shake out and become more definitive.
Alternatively, it's possible that his backers aren't there with the readies anymore.
I would suggest the latter....Alternatively, it's possible that his backers aren't there with the readies anymore.
ks, I have to eat my hat nowchevronb37 said:
With Honda having no corporate sponsorship on the cars, I would imagine buying a team 2 months before the start of a season involving a huge raft of technical changes would be akin to simply burning £300million. Whoever does take the plunge will require very deep pockets indeed.
Whilst this is true, if the cost-cutting measures are done properly this should be the ideal opportunity for anyone looking for the step up to F1 - a ready to run team with potentially a very good car and personnel. If no-one ends up wanting Honda (and I say that on the proviso that we haven't heard from the other bidders yet, so it's purely hypothetical for now), why would they start from scratch?kevin ritson said:
chevronb37 said:
With Honda having no corporate sponsorship on the cars, I would imagine buying a team 2 months before the start of a season involving a huge raft of technical changes would be akin to simply burning £300million. Whoever does take the plunge will require very deep pockets indeed.
Whilst this is true, if the cost-cutting measures are done properly this should be the ideal opportunity for anyone looking for the step up to F1 - a ready to run team with potentially a very good car and personnel. If no-one ends up wanting Honda (and I say that on the proviso that we haven't heard from the other bidders yet, so it's purely hypothetical for now), why would they start from scratch?One concern I have is what will happen if the manufacturers drop out? I'd rather see a far more privateer-based F1 than another one-make championship. Lots of smaller constructors with oportunites to buy off-the-peg engines from a few suppliers has got to be better than 3-car teams and standardised everything.
Time will tell whether this would have been the best opportunity to buy an F1 team.
Apart from the real possibility that his former backers are simply no longer in a position to fund it, there could be other reasons to keep one's powder dry.
- It is entirely possible that the present global recession will deepen and continue on the bottom for several years. In that case, the revenues available to the entrants would be substantially curtailed.
- The formula is nowhere near being settled. KERS? Standard diffusers and other body work? Smaller, turbo-charged engines?
- The teams are working together quite nicely at the mo. Their amicability has now been ticking over for about three months, and follows decades of animosity. How sustainable is it?
- Mateschitz wants to off-load STR. How permanent is Force India? How permanent, for that matter, is the team in Grove? In a couple of year's time, it could be even more of a buyers' market.
- Would any of us want to spend a couple of hundred million £ to be in a game that was owned by Bernie Ecclestone and regulated by Max Mosley?
Apart from the real possibility that his former backers are simply no longer in a position to fund it, there could be other reasons to keep one's powder dry.
- It is entirely possible that the present global recession will deepen and continue on the bottom for several years. In that case, the revenues available to the entrants would be substantially curtailed.
- The formula is nowhere near being settled. KERS? Standard diffusers and other body work? Smaller, turbo-charged engines?
- The teams are working together quite nicely at the mo. Their amicability has now been ticking over for about three months, and follows decades of animosity. How sustainable is it?
- Mateschitz wants to off-load STR. How permanent is Force India? How permanent, for that matter, is the team in Grove? In a couple of year's time, it could be even more of a buyers' market.
- Would any of us want to spend a couple of hundred million £ to be in a game that was owned by Bernie Ecclestone and regulated by Max Mosley?
I think Richards is right, although it pains me to accept it. The world is not the same, money is no longer easy to get hold of, and who knows where the current financial markets will end up.
To run any firm the size of Honda F1, with all their employees, ongoing costs for the development of the cars and everything else, not forgetting there's no major sponsor helping to pay the bills, I think buying Honda now would be a bad move.
I can see Honda F1 going to the wall, with no buyers prepared to fund what has been an under performing team. Force India run on a fraction of the budget, yes, they dont get the results, but neither do they have the overheads of the likes of Honda F1.
So it boils down to, buying a huge company, with massive overheads, which has underperformed but has the promise of a good car ( a fact that has still to be proved), or wait for a smaller team to fold in the future.
In any event, no matter how many cost cutting exercises are implemented, Formula 1 does not seem as an attractive investment as before. To end I would say, I really do hope that there is someone/buisness out there with a passion for racing, and very deep pockets.
To run any firm the size of Honda F1, with all their employees, ongoing costs for the development of the cars and everything else, not forgetting there's no major sponsor helping to pay the bills, I think buying Honda now would be a bad move.
I can see Honda F1 going to the wall, with no buyers prepared to fund what has been an under performing team. Force India run on a fraction of the budget, yes, they dont get the results, but neither do they have the overheads of the likes of Honda F1.
So it boils down to, buying a huge company, with massive overheads, which has underperformed but has the promise of a good car ( a fact that has still to be proved), or wait for a smaller team to fold in the future.
In any event, no matter how many cost cutting exercises are implemented, Formula 1 does not seem as an attractive investment as before. To end I would say, I really do hope that there is someone/buisness out there with a passion for racing, and very deep pockets.
skinny said:
Apparently so. God help them if he get his way.DSM2 said:
skinny said:
Apparently so. God help them if he get his way.Forums | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff