Full Throttle

As suggested by many, including Honda officials and F1 powerbrokers Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley, there is already interest in the Brackley based F1 Honda team that was put on the block Friday by Japanese auto giant Honda.

A third name has come into the light, if you care to believe this Daily Telegraph report, a person that has had prior connections to the team.

Allegedly the most serious buyer is believed to be Prodrive chief David Richards. Richards is no stranger to the team, having been brought in to run its previous BAR incarnation in 2001.

His team Prodrive was slated to join the F1 grid in 2008, but Richards pulled out because his plans involved running a controversial McLaren-Mercedes customer package and a failure to settle the customer car issue.

According to a second Telegraph report Ross Brawn, team principal of Honda Racing F1, is said to be in advanced negotiations with a prospective buyer and should be in a position to confirm whether or not a deal has been done “by the end of the weekend”.

To me that would seem to favor Richards because of his previous position with the team. The reported slash in budget to about £50million (73m USD) may fit his resources as well.

Time will tell, and it may not be too much longer.

And Jenson Button will learn if he has a job with Richards or goes begging helmet in hand.

I had previously speculated he may line-up outside STR’s garage door. However the U.K’s. other major fish wrap, The Independent, is speculating (read wild-eyed guessing) Red Bull bought back it’s sister STR so they could off-load both teams at once.

The paper reports Red Bull has already cutting back on F1 frills such as their Red Bulletin magazine and even their Formula Una grid girls. (Blasphemy I tell ya! What’s an F1 weekend without the Una Grid Girls?!)

While pondering the Button question something slipped by me ’til now. Barrichello was let go by Honda and was considering moving to Red Bull.

Barrichello’s replacement at Honda was said to be Bruno Senna the nephew of legendary Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna. If Honda survives under Richards’ directions he may get his F1 shot in 2009.

If not his wait may last until 2010, or later.