Barrichello to be favoured over Senna
Rubens Barrichello will retain his seat at the soon-to-be-renamed Honda Racing team provided a sale is successfully completed, according to reports.
Autosport.com reported this morning (Tuesday) that Barrichello has been given the nod over the other main contender for the vacant drive, fellow Brazilian Bruno Senna.
Jenson Button is assured of a place in the new team, but until recently 25-year-old Senna was thought likely to partner him due to a combination of his name, long-term prospects and marketability to sponsors.
Instead it now seems that Barrichello, 36, will extended his record as Formula 1’s most experienced driver.
However, no confirmation of the driver line-up is expected until Honda has completed its sale of the team, which has been on the market since early December.
Japan’s biggest circulation newspaper, the Yomiuri, reported on Tuesday that an announcement of the team’s new ownership was imminent.
The newspaper quoted a source at the company’s Tokyo headquarters as saying: “We expect to be able to make an announcement from the company and the team in the near future.
“Honda has been making all possible efforts to avoid the worst option of having to disband the team.”
Honda’s board in Tokyo is understood to have approved a management buyout of the Brackley-based outfit headed by team principal Ross Brawn.
Source: itv.com/f1, Autosport
Rubens Barrichello will retain his seat at the soon-to-be-renamed Honda Racing team provided a sale is successfully completed, according to reports.
Autosport.com reported this morning (Tuesday) that Barrichello has been given the nod over the other main contender for the vacant drive, fellow Brazilian Bruno Senna.
Jenson Button is assured of a place in the new team, but until recently 25-year-old Senna was thought likely to partner him due to a combination of his name, long-term prospects and marketability to sponsors.
Instead it now seems that Barrichello, 36, will extended his record as Formula 1’s most experienced driver.
However, no confirmation of the driver line-up is expected until Honda has completed its sale of the team, which has been on the market since early December.
Japan’s biggest circulation newspaper, the Yomiuri, reported on Tuesday that an announcement of the team’s new ownership was imminent.
The newspaper quoted a source at the company’s Tokyo headquarters as saying: “We expect to be able to make an announcement from the company and the team in the near future.
“Honda has been making all possible efforts to avoid the worst option of having to disband the team.”
Honda’s board in Tokyo is understood to have approved a management buyout of the Brackley-based outfit headed by team principal Ross Brawn.
Source: itv.com/f1, Autosport
