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