Honda speaks out on rumors of Alonso’s arrival

Honda Racing denies the current rumors about the imminent arrival of former world champion Fernando Alonso to the team. These rumors emerged yesterday after a supposed visit by the Spaniard to a Japanese team’s factory.

Speculations about Alonso’s future with Honda intensified earlier in the day as the Japanese team became a likely destination for the Spaniard.

A Sport Bild article announced that Alonso was on the verge of concluding a deal with Honda for 2008.

Rumors say that the double world champion not only spent a day at the Brackley factory, but also had, according to one of the newspaper’s sources, a fitting seat.

Speculations are based on the fact that the Spanish driver could have taken Barrichello’s place at Honda. The latter, according to rumors, was visiting the Super Aguri team accompanied by Ross Brawn.

The driver reportedly traveled in anticipation of an agreement between the Japanese team and himself. These statements did not come from the German newspaper Bild.

Like many rumors surrounding Alonso’s future at the moment, both stories cannot be true.

Reacting to Bild’s writings, a Honda spokesperson stated: « Fernando did not visit our factory, and Honda Racing has already confirmed its drivers for 2008, that was in July. »

The Barrichello / Super-Aguri story has also been clarified since, according to Autosport.com, Brawn did indeed attend meetings at the Leafield factory, home of Super-Aguri, in the presence of a member of Honda Racing staff, and not the race driver.

Alonso recently said he was not in a hurry to finalize his plans for 2008.