Brawn buys out Honda

Japanese manufacturer passes ownership of team to Brawn

Last updated: 6th March 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Brawn buys out Honda

Brawn: Team owner

The past few months have been extremely challenging for the team but today's announcement is the very pleasing conclusion to the strenuous efforts that have been made to secure its future.

Ross Brawn
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Ross Brawn has stepped in to secure the future of the former Honda Formula One team and has renamed the outfit Brawn GP.

British driver Jenson Button and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello have been confirmed as the drivers for 2009 with Mercedes supplying the engines to the Brackley-based outfit, who will now be on grid for the start of the new season in Melbourne.

The team's future had been up in the air since early December when Japanese manufacturer Honda confirmed they were ending their involvement in F1 due to the global economic downturn.

But this management buyout secures the jobs of hundreds of staff at the team's Northamptonshire headquarters, and new team principal Brawn admitted the agreement had brought an end to a difficult period of negotiations.

Praise

"The past few months have been extremely challenging for the team but today's announcement is the very pleasing conclusion to the strenuous efforts that have been made to secure its future," said Brawn.

"Firstly, it is a great shame that having worked with Honda Motor Company for so long we can no longer continue together.

"I would like to thank Honda for the fantastic co-operation and support we have received throughout this process - particularly those members of the senior management who were closely involved with concluding our agreement - and for the faith they have demonstrated in myself and our team.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to pay due credit to our staff at Brackley. The levels of motivation and commitment that I have witnessed at the factory deserve the highest praise."

Up front

Brawn, who served as Ferrari's technical director for a decade before moving to Honda at the start of last season, added that he was happy to see the partnership of Button and Barrichello continue for another season.

"I am delighted that Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will form our race driver line-up for the 2009 season," he said.

"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 in Melbourne on 29 March.

"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."

Formula 1 2009 Season. Click here to bet.

Comments (22)

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David Barlow says...

Well done Ross brawn, It will be nice to see Jenson and Rubens on the top step, What a car you have give them, wishing you all the best for the future. Its down to the boys now....

Posted 01:55 27th March 2009

David Hart says...

Sorry but he's demented. It will be almost impossible to create a commercially viable F1 team in today's world, expecially one with no IP of any note. I give them 2 years before they either run out of money or get sold on again. For me the one to watch this year is BMW. They've put the most effort and resource into the 2009 car from early in last season and their technical know-how, good drivers and finacial clout will catapult them up with Ferrari and McLaren. I'd also watch Alonso - we all saw towards the end of last season what he can do in an average car, if they give him something good for 09 them he'll show that he's the best driver.

Posted 15:08 6th March 2009

Haiden Alexander says...

I will like to take this opportunity to wish brawn's new team all the best for the future in f1, I'm please with the driver line up and will continue to support this team in the future again Ross, all the best to you and your new team.

Posted 14:50 6th March 2009

Andrew Mutton says...

It is fantastic news to know the genius of Ross Brawn has managed to successfully buy-out from Honda. Ross Brawn was a part of the "dream team" that was Brawn/Todt and Schumacher at dominant Ferrari. It is a shame that the sale has been dragged out so long, however needless to say...we will get to see the first true Ross Brawn Engineered car (last year's Honda was effectively an 07 update) - a feat which seemed impossible with the forever dragging out sale. Just hope the prolonged sale hasnt lost the newly named Brawn GP too much testing time. That said, Brawn's car with a Mercedes engine i'm sure will show real promise. It probably won't see a win (although Nick Fry and Ross Brawn felt during 08 that 09 was going to be a year of true F1 acheievements). Perhaps some thoroughly deserved podiums from two proven front running drivers. Good luck for 09 and beyond guys! P.S. when can we see the "design"?

Posted 13:24 6th March 2009

Nick Berry says...

Congratulaitons to Ross Brawn. In a sport which is being overwhelmed with economic crisis, its nice to see a true motorsport fan buy a team. I was expecting an American of Eastern consortium to buy the team purely for the glamour and hype that surrounds F1. Brawn is a true motorsport enthusiast and he will build a winning team. Also, fairplay to mercedes for supplying engines.

Posted 13:10 6th March 2009

Eddie Button says...

Well done Mr Brawn. Lets hope that we can see a better season for the team and both drivers. Best of luck to you all. Get out there are proove Bernie wrong when he reportedy said that the absence of Honda was no great loss to F1.

Posted 12:40 6th March 2009

Stephen Whitehead says...

About time this whole Honda saga came to an end. Hats off to Ross Brawn for coming in to safe a team where there are alot of families depending on the people that work there. Being unemployed is bad enough but out of a job at this moment in time in a global credit crunch is harsh, i think Ross Brawn is a hero. Also this buy out keeps alot of fantastic people in the sport, Brawn himself, Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello etc

Posted 12:14 6th March 2009

Dillon Sho says...

It is just crazy to think that people rate Jenson that high, he is an ok driver at best and I do not think he is even as good as coultard was, stop all the hype and lets focus on F1 and whenever anyone talks top drivers, leave Jenson out of it.

Posted 11:23 6th March 2009

Brian Murphy says...

Well done Ross, i will be right behind you and well done to Jenson, a driver with less faith would have jumped ship into the 1st drive they could find, your loyalty will be rewarded and with ross behind you, the sky is the limit, and good to see rubens there as well, i just hope the car will be better than last year, i have a feeling ross is confident it will be to be putting His arse on the line......

Posted 11:22 6th March 2009

Alan Peters says...

Great news, well done Ross I wish you all the luck with Braun GP, not only would it be good to see Jenson get some good results but also Rubens, if ever there was a driver who deserves some good results it is him, have a great 2009 season

Posted 10:31 6th March 2009

Graham Willans says...

Is this another era for the standalone non corporate racer? It is about time we had another Frank Williams, a team principle in it for the love of racing and not a corporate agenda. Above all hes British. Its an amazing feat to take on a project of this magnatude, in this climate, when businesses are backing away. Good luck Ross and the team and wishes for the future season.

Posted 10:19 6th March 2009

Kevin Doughty says...

Good luck to the new team. It can't go anywhere but up. A successful team neads to have brains as well as brawn, With Ross, how can they fail?

Posted 10:14 6th March 2009

Tony Powell says...

All the very best to everyone at Brawn GP and this year you have all the good luck instead of the bad that you have been having.

Posted 10:13 6th March 2009

John Powell says...

This is the best thing to happen to F1 for some time the very best of luck to all involved at Brawn GP good things come in small packages so I am sure Ross will make this work, with two very solid drivers and a level playing feild I have high hopes of good things to come

Posted 10:10 6th March 2009

Richard Phillips says...

I am so pleased that the Honda team has been saved by one of the best men in F1, I would like to wish all the best for the future of brawn gp,

Posted 09:26 6th March 2009

Simon Boulton says...

Great news- Lets not forget Mr. Brawn was the man who made Schumacher, Benneton and Ferrari heroes. Stand by for more of the same - new heroes!

Posted 09:26 6th March 2009

Dave Keefe says...

Just wished one of top teams would give jenson a drive im sure if he was in the mcClaren he would be world champ hats off to ross brawn putting his own money down all the best for the season fellows

Posted 08:52 6th March 2009

Barry Costello says...

Great news I wish Ross Brawn and the rest of the team all the best for future

Posted 08:40 6th March 2009

Jogo Bonito says...

Welldone Ross, if only more had some backbone like you. This is very inspring and I wish Brawn GP and McLaren (Ron Dennis) show them what is very good about the British Enterprenural spirit when faced with adversity.

Posted 08:36 6th March 2009

Antony Jackson says...

Williams, McLaren and a whole load of other great teams who were named for a fantastically talented petrolhead. Now we have Brawn and I wouldn't bet against him getting up to the top again. The way he rebuilt Ferrari was amazing, from a team whose only win in a decade was Bergers European GP to a team who won so many titles that they had to change the rules of the sport to give everyone else a chance. Ok so the genius of Schumacher has a hell of a lot to do with that but Brawn is the person who elevated Schumi to a world champion anyway.

Posted 08:32 6th March 2009
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