A new spin on why Honda pulled out of F1?
Discussion
Cars designed and built by the "Honda" team under Brawn's legendary and skillful direction achieve top honours at today's GP. While Honda corporation's financial position in the global economic downturn no doubt jeopardized their ability to bankroll their F1 team I now sense that this was not the only reason - and may not have been the principal reason.
We can safely assume that Brawn knew precisely what the 2009 car was capable of in terms of aerodynamic performance. Simulations during 2008 would have confirmed this. I now wonder if Honda were in fact unable to deliver a engine capable of realizing the potential of the chassis and aero package that Brawn and his team had created.
Is it possible that Honda's inability to deliver a viable engine for the 2009 package was the stimulus for their withdrawal to save face? Based on today's performance it seems unthinkable that Honda who had invested so much (AND continue to provide continuity funding for the Team) would have stepped down with Brawn telling them that this car will be superior and a front-running candidate. A Honda (with Mercedes Benz power) won the Australian GP. I suspect that in the future it will become clear that it was Honda's inability to deliver an engine package that ultimately led to their exit and the financial reason was a coincidental but helpful smokescreen.
We can safely assume that Brawn knew precisely what the 2009 car was capable of in terms of aerodynamic performance. Simulations during 2008 would have confirmed this. I now wonder if Honda were in fact unable to deliver a engine capable of realizing the potential of the chassis and aero package that Brawn and his team had created.
Is it possible that Honda's inability to deliver a viable engine for the 2009 package was the stimulus for their withdrawal to save face? Based on today's performance it seems unthinkable that Honda who had invested so much (AND continue to provide continuity funding for the Team) would have stepped down with Brawn telling them that this car will be superior and a front-running candidate. A Honda (with Mercedes Benz power) won the Australian GP. I suspect that in the future it will become clear that it was Honda's inability to deliver an engine package that ultimately led to their exit and the financial reason was a coincidental but helpful smokescreen.
Edited by Hut49 on Sunday 29th March 13:00
I don't think this was relevant, the Honda engine was down on power but they had the option to develop the engine to bring it up in line with the others as Renault were allowed to do. Its not as if the engines are on the absolute limit of development any more, if the FIA had freed them up a bit they could have easily bought its power up to similar levels as the others.
LocoBlade said:
I don't think this was relevant, the Honda engine was down on power but they had the option to develop the engine to bring it up in line with the others as Renault were allowed to do. Its not as if the engines are on the absolute limit of development any more, if the FIA had freed them up a bit they could have easily bought its power up to similar levels as the others.
I would agree with that.LocoBlade said:
I don't think this was relevant, the Honda engine was down on power but they had the option to develop the engine ...
Right, and err... wrong. The latest specification Honda engine intended for the 2008 and 2009 seasons was introduced at the Italian GP in 2006 (remember Davidson blowing 2 of these up in practice?). That left Honda with only 2 races in 2006 in which to homologate an engine for the 2008 and 2009 seasons - Japan and Brazil. Button and Barichello managed to crawl around with reduced revs to secure that objective at these two races. Lack of power reported during the 2007 and 2008 seasons is pretty conclusive evidence that Honda had a dog of an engine with no prospect of development to make it competitive within the Brawn designed car in 2009 - so I think they had no option but to pull the plug. This is why Honda left Brawn high and dry - it was not caused by global market issues.BAT/BAR/Honda have been a joke from the start.
Pollock? oh dear.
Just as they seemed to turn it all around with David Richards at the helm, they chucked it all off the road again.
The Honda CEO will hardly have a look of glee this morning, and rightly so.
Ross Brawn must be laughing his merry bearded head right off this morning.
Having been funded, and salaried for a year, he's been handed an opportunity to buy and run, hands off, with a classic RB car, fast straight out of the box.
Sponsors will be queing up with chequebooks at the ready.
What were Honda thinking ? Oh dear.
I've no doubt the lights in the McLaren factory burn day and night developing a new rear diffuser, and once thats in place we'll see even closer competition, however I would imagine McMerc will keep tha latest evo engines.
I mean, who wouldn't ?
When the teams role into Europe it will be even closer.
Pollock? oh dear.
Just as they seemed to turn it all around with David Richards at the helm, they chucked it all off the road again.
The Honda CEO will hardly have a look of glee this morning, and rightly so.
Ross Brawn must be laughing his merry bearded head right off this morning.
Having been funded, and salaried for a year, he's been handed an opportunity to buy and run, hands off, with a classic RB car, fast straight out of the box.
Sponsors will be queing up with chequebooks at the ready.
What were Honda thinking ? Oh dear.
I've no doubt the lights in the McLaren factory burn day and night developing a new rear diffuser, and once thats in place we'll see even closer competition, however I would imagine McMerc will keep tha latest evo engines.
I mean, who wouldn't ?
When the teams role into Europe it will be even closer.
Hut49 said:
Right, and err... wrong.
No its not wrong, the FIA wanted (and still want) pretty much uniform engine outputs which is one reason that they froze the spec to start with and the reason that Renault were allowed to "catch up" at the end of last season. Honda would have been able to do the same had they stayed.Edited by LocoBlade on Sunday 29th March 16:16
Hut49 said:
LocoBlade said:
I don't think this was relevant, the Honda engine was down on power but they had the option to develop the engine ...
Right, and err... wrong. The latest specification Honda engine intended for the 2008 and 2009 seasons was introduced at the Italian GP in 2006 (remember Davidson blowing 2 of these up in practice?). That left Honda with only 2 races in 2006 in which to homologate an engine for the 2008 and 2009 seasons - Japan and Brazil. Scuffers said:
Hut49 said:
LocoBlade said:
I don't think this was relevant, the Honda engine was down on power but they had the option to develop the engine ...
Right, and err... wrong. The latest specification Honda engine intended for the 2008 and 2009 seasons was introduced at the Italian GP in 2006 (remember Davidson blowing 2 of these up in practice?). That left Honda with only 2 races in 2006 in which to homologate an engine for the 2008 and 2009 seasons - Japan and Brazil. 
Sooo, this thread is pointless
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