OT Honda Pulls Plug on F-1

[GotRoad?]

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HONG KONG — Honda announced on Friday that it would withdraw from Formula One, a startling pullout that has its origins in the dismal state of the auto industry and which could have serious repercussions on the high-profile racing circuit.

A glum Takeo Fukui, the chief executive officer of Honda, made the announcement at a news conference in Tokyo.

He called the company’s withdrawal from the series “a difficult decision” caused by the worldwide economic gloom and “the quickly deteriorating operating environment facing the global auto industry, blah, blah, blah.....

[JonyRR]

I'm not surprised. I personally doubt things are going to 'turn around' this time to resemble anything near to what we've been used to as 'normal' for the last 50 years. Very unfortunate but unfortunately predictable. I'm glad I got to experience all that I have, ride what I did and do what I have done.
The 'mad max' worldview is getting closer to reality.
'It's a $h!t sandwich and we're all gonna have to take a bite'.

[bradzdotcom]

didn't honda finish dead last in the manufacturer standings.....for the last two years?

bad economy or not, i'd pull that plug and spend the 300 million somewhere else.

[markjenn]

Honda may lack panache and willingness to take risks with both their car and motorcycle lineup these days, but they're ruthlessly efficient and practical. And they know how to read the handwriting on the wall.

Honda thinks very long-term and they know that the future of all forms of personal transportation and even motorsports lies in green and efficient technology. F1's salute to this is KERS and that's lipstick on a pig. Honda will stay active in motorsports, but they're going to do it in areas that are consistent with their "earth first" and safety-oriented vision for the future.

F1 right now appears lavishly and decadently extravagant at a time when car companies disparately need to appear frugal and economical, witness the Detroit auto execs driving to the Congressional bailout hearings in hybrid Malibus and Escapes rather than corporate jets. And races like the Singapore GP with 3+ MW of power (3% of the entire output of a typical nuclear power station) being consumed by just lighting do nothing to promote a green image.

Good call on Honda's part.

- Mark

[1100s nut]

I believe honda can afford F1 more than any company in F1, but I have felt all along that F1 did not fit honda. I don`t think people associate performance cars and honda... where with Mercedes and BMW you do think more performance at least I do anyhow. If you group all honda: auto, home and garden, generator, bikes and now aviation thats got to be a very rich corporation.

Lane

[bradzdotcom]

yea it's come a long way from a guy (sochiro) living in his father in law's garage, drinking a pint of gin a day, wondering what to do with himself.
i think bicycle repair came next, then engines in bicycles...something like that.

but yep, i've worked for the bigt H and they're absolutely the farthest thinkers. sometimes they seem to move frustratingly slow, until you look at their long range game plans.

still, they kinda sucked at F-1. even the car livery was terrible this year.
hopefully they'll take a lot of learning and apply it.
i remember yamaha came away from their F-1 experience with quite a few things that influcenced their mere-mortal production stuff.

[JonyRR]

You know what Eboz is doing next year, correct?
Smart young man, as he sees the writing on the wall.
If I could pull that off, I'd already be there. As it is, I'm working towards being as off the grid as much as possible. Now if I could just pull off that 50 acres in western Montana....

[throttlemeister]

Anyone remember the '80's? They came to F1 in '83 and where WC in '86, '87, '88, '89, '90 and '91. Big H knows what it takes to get to the top spot in F1. But they haven't committed themselves to do so this time around. If you are not committed to go all the way, don't bother trying. You don't get anywhere in F1 with halfarsed attempts.

[1100s nut]

Overall, Ford and Ferrari motors have dominated F1, winning over half of all F1 races between the two of them. I wish BMW would do better, seems they are up front alot but not first place. I think BMW was the first to pass the 18,000 rpm level a few years back...but that don`t win races.

Lane

[anotheroldrider]

Let's not get carried away, now - the half-dozen or so nukes I worked on were 1000MW per unit (other than that pesky little 250MW San Onofre U-1 return-to-service in the mid-80s), and most were multiple unit stations.

Nonetheless, your point is well taken, and F1 is terminally boring, anyway. Suzuki has already said they "probably" won't be racing in the US this year, Kaw the same - AFIK, Hodgeson was the only Honda rider at Daytona's tire test. Racing in the US might be grim this year.

[peter f]

Originally Posted by throttlemeister

Anyone remember the '80's? They came to F1 in '83 and where WC in '86, '87, '88, '89, '90 and '91. Big H knows what it takes to get to the top spot in F1. But they haven't committed themselves to do so this time around. If you are not committed to go all the way, don't bother trying. You don't get anywhere in F1 with halfarsed attempts.

Erm

You need Nabuhiko Kawamoto, Alain and Ayrton for that...(These days are over). Spending zillions in a basket case makes no sense and humiliates big H

PS: That Save the Earth marketing strategy was a parody as well.

[roger albert]

> Racing in the US might be grim this year

Agreed. But MotoGP will be probably be OK, and WSBK will add 2 more manufs and Ben Spies, plus see Haga on a factory duc. I think WSBK could be awesome next year, and even if it falls short of that, at least interesting. Bayliss' departure throws it wide open. It would seem Haga's to lose.

[GotRoad?]

Just saw this news bit

MONACO (Reuters) - Formula One teams will cut their costs by almost a third next year under a package of measures approved on Friday to secure the sport's future in the face of the global credit crunch.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement that independent teams would see engine costs halved in 2009, with a year's supply priced at under five million euros ($6.63 million) from 2010 compared to at least 15 million at present.

Testing will be banned during the season other than at regular Friday practice at grand prix weekends.

From 2010, refueling will cease and grand prix distances could be shortened.

The FIA estimated the new measures would save manufacturer-owned teams the equivalent of 30 percent of their 2008 budgets next year, with independent teams seeing even more reductions.

The measures come with the sport staring into the abyss, with the manufacturers who own half of the teams facing plunging sales and share prices.

Honda, who have spent hundreds of millions of dollars for scant reward, have already announced they are pulling out -- triggering fears another carmaker could quit before the season starts in Australia on March 29.

[1100s nut]

I know for sure nascar is getting hit hard. I have friends in the business and a brother in law that is a pilot for Robby Gordon. If fact his plane is grounded as of yesterday... windshield cracked. I think the sport is in trouble IMO.

Lane

[CARacic]

And isn't F1 going to a spec engine? The Honda motor company wouldn't have much interest. I think they will stay in MC racing. Honda uses their racing effort as a way to train their most promising young engineers.

[bradzdotcom]

they pulled the plug on the american road racing efforts also.
erion honda will still be there with guys like jake zemke, but a factory 09 effort is off.

they'll still do the mx/sx team, motogp and irl.