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Three buyers for Honda?
By Phil Huff
December 5 2008
Honda Racing F1 boss Nick Fry claims that there are three potential buyers for the outgoing team following the Brackley squads exit from Formula One. "In the last 12 hours we've had three serious people come and suggest they'd like to buy the team," explained Fry to the BBC.

"We're one of the best-funded teams and have the best assets and resources in the pitlane, we'll be quite a desirable asset for somebody."

"We're very hopeful, as are most commentators, that we'll take a big step up," continued Fry. "It's a big opportunity for somebody. We have 700 people working for the team. It's business as usual, we have to go through the usual three month consultation period with staff to decide future of the company and during that period we're hoping we'll find a buyer."

Finding a buyer may be tough, given the global downturn in trade and, therefore, profit. With car sales dropping in the UK by as much as 45%, and similar patterns being repeated elsewhere, there appears to be few manufacturers who could justify the expenditure.

One potential bidder is understood to be from the middle east area, but our sources suggest the financing behind it may not be quite as solid as many assume. A second, currently unknown, bidder is also dealing with the team.

The third call of interest has come from Chessington, we understand, as Carlin Motorsport looks once again at the possibility of stepping up to Formula One. Assuming the reduction in workforce to 200, as revealed elsewhere on RealHondaF1.com, a drop in budget to $70m a year, a quality pay driver on board, and the FIA's Cosworth engine plan all come together, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that Carlin could make such a jump?

An impossible dream?

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