BlogF1

BMW are making for interesting viewing at the moment, the former Sauber team looking to be on the verge of their maiden win and thinking slightly longer-term, on the verge of their maiden constructor’s title. But this evening, while sitting in The Blogger’s Dog, it struck me that the team have very similar experience to another on the grid. The other team has gone that bit further and taken a victorious drink of Mumm, but in all honesty, that moment is all but a distant memory among the torrid battles with a woefully uncompetitive car. The other team is of course Honda, and the paths each have followed are quite interesting. Continue Reading

Super Aguri owner Aguri Suzuki today announced the collapse of deal that would have seen his team change ownership to the Magma Group. It now turns out Magma’s investors - Middle Eastern company Dubai International Capital - no longer wish to fund the acquisition, thought to be costing around $100m. This now puts the immediate future of Super Aguri in serious doubt and the squad may not be able to participate in the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix. Continue Reading

Formula One cars should be awesome to look at. Yes, motor racing is more about the actual event of cars and drivers racing against one another, but Formula One chargers should also be sculptured to perfection and easy on the eye. It may be a bit of a shallow remark, but when millions of dollars are pumped into the designing and building of a bespoke car that is meant to be streamlined and ultimately fast, it really should be a work of art. But colour schemes aside, do the new breed of 2008 machines meet this criteria of mine? Continue Reading

As the second day of testing got underway in Spain today, Renault and Honda joined in with Ferrari in trying out some interesting new aero parts on their cars. Ferrari yesterday showed off their new nose to the public for the first time, and today Nelson Piquet Jr rolled out of his Renault garage with a Red Bull style fin on the engine cover. Honda got in on the act as well with the re-testing of their Dumbo ears, last seen at a test session in 2007. In fact, it was Rubens Barrichello who went fastest today, driving the updated RA108 and setting a lap time 0.8s quicker than Giancarlo Fisichella in the Force India. Continue Reading

Like fellow competitors Renault, Honda are a Formula One manufacturer team that have had a stop/start relationship with the pinnacle series in international motor sport. The squad had competed for supremacy in the early sixties, the team being one of only three true constructors of the time, insisting on building their own chassis and engine. The only other teams in 1964 to do this were Ferrari and BRM. By 1969 though, Honda withdrew from Formula One due to lack of results, but returned fourteen years later as an engine supplier. With McLaren and Williams, Honda found great success and managed to claim six constructor titles from 71 victories. 1992 saw the marque drop out of the sport again, but this time it wouldn’t be for quite as long. Let’s look at the recent history of the Honda F1 team. Continue Reading

Despite staying away from the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend at the request of the Bahraini Royal Family, Max Mosley is still hitting the headlines as the Formula One teams break their silence and openly criticise the FIA president over his recent behaviour. German manufacturers BMW and Mercedes issued a joint statement which made it very clear they wished to distance themselves from Mosley. Honda and Toyota have issued statements effectively saying the same. And finally, Max responded to these statements in a manner which I feel inclined to describe as a little cry-babyish. Continue Reading

There is still no official confirmation they’re in. Neither driver has been confirmed and little more has been said about the financial status of Super Aguri. But their freight has arrived in Melbourne, and that is a strong sign they will be taking part. Phew. Team boss Aguri Suzuki has spent much of his winter off-season trying to drum up investment in his plucky team, feeling the force of Honda has they insist Aguri take care of themselves. Continue Reading

Seeing the 2008 Honda preview post go up triggered my mind to think about how the team have fluctuated over the last few years, from the transition from BAR to Honda, the simply awesome 2004 campaign, Button’s win in 2006 and of course, the spectacular disappointment that was their 2007 season. Below are a few paragraphs from my 2006, 2007 and 2008 preview posts. If anything, it shows the downward spiral the team have endured over the last two years. Interestingly though, all three posts end on a positive note. Maybe I should stop doing that… Continue Reading

How Honda got 2007 so horrendously wrong is quite simply beyond belief. This time last year, most of us knew and had accepted that the RA107 wasn’t going to be a great car, but I don’t think many of us expected the junior team to wipe the floor with the factory team for most of the season. The fact that Super Aguri led Honda in the championships right up until the Chinese Grand Prix should serve as serious embarrassment for the Japanese car company. Honda absolutely have to improve and return themselves to the regular point-scorers they once were. Failure to achieve this could spell disaster for the future of the team. Continue Reading

During Honda’s launch of their 2008 car, chief executive Nick Fry spoke about the continued support of Super Aguri and how the squad are looking for an investor to help fund the future of the team. While Super Aguri’s position was known previously, it was presumed that both current drivers would be safe at the squad. However, the search for money could come from another driver bringing sponsorship with him. One name that has been spoken a fair amount is India’s Narain Karthikeyan. However, Honda are pressuring Super Aguri to retain Anthony Davidson, explaining that the Briton gives excellent feedback, helpful in the developing of the chassis. Continue Reading