Nick Fry (of) Honda has three takeover offers

Nick Fry, the race director of the Honda team, announced yesterday the possibilities of a takeover of the Japanese team. Let’s remember that the team decided to terminate its Formula 1 project, weighed down by declining financial results of the Honda Group due to the economic crisis.

Honda F1 Racing will not participate in the 2009 season unless a solution is found with the Japanese group by the end of the year. However, the chances of seeing only 18 cars in Australia in a few months are very slim. Indeed, possible buyers have come forward, and Nick Fry reveals more information about the future of the team in F1.

« We must prove that we have potential and be confident in ourselves. If Honda believes in us, we will have a new chance to be funded and, above all, have a new owner. Then, the team’s future would at least be secured until February, » commented the Englishman to Autosport.

Fry also refused to arrive mid-season, with a new team: “We cannot come to F1 with our structure and a new team if we are not ready for the first Grand Prix.”

« Not participating in the first Grand Prix, even if we can miss four according to the rules, is signing our death. I have never seen a team that can succeed without even competing in all the events… »

Nick Fry also confirmed that potential buyers have come forward to participate in the championship next year. However, he remains tight-lipped: “We have already received three offers from different groups,” he commented. “I can’t give you details, but they are all foreign.”

Fry remains convinced that a solution can be found quickly to allow the team to participate in the championship. He also believes that the team’s level of equipment should appeal to more than one group, unlike what happened at the beginning of 2008 with Super-Aguri.

« We are in a clearly different situation than the one encountered with Super-Aguri, » states the race director. « We have everything we need in terms of equipment with Honda, unlike SAF1. We might even be the best equipped on the F1 grid. »

« We have invested heavily in the last two years to regain our performance levels from past years. We have the largest wind tunnel of all the teams, a particle accelerator, a dynamometer, and many more technical resources… »

According to Nick Fry, the real arguments to convince the buyers will be the following: « We especially have a contract with Jenson Button and with Ross Brawn. Let’s not forget that he is one of the best engineers in the world and has designed an excellent single-seater for 2009! »

All these arguments are in favor of the team, and Nick Fry is not worried about his professional future. We have what it takes to attract a group wanting to enter F1!

To know which ones, however, requires patience. Even if Prodrive, the team that was supposed to be the 12th in 2008, seems to be among the potential buyers, there is a possibility that Audi, or even Volkswagen, might want to enter F1. The name that is most talked about is Porsche.