Honda quits F1

Japanese sensationally drop out of Formula One

Honda has quit F1 due to deepening financial worries and a crashing car market. Honda has recently pulled back production at its Swindon plant, and the decision to leave F1 is apparently to protect the brand's core business activities.

Where this leaves Jenson Button remains to be seen, with Honda placing its team for sale rather than winding it down altogether. It sends a stark message out to followers of F1 though, who may now fear other manufacturers such as Renault doing the same.

This is the statement from Takeo Fukui, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co:

"We, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., have come to the conclusion that we will withdraw from all Formula One activities, making 2008 the last season of participation.

This difficult decision has been made in light of the quickly deteriorating operating environment facing the global auto industry, brought on by the sub-prime problem in the United States, the deepening credit crisis and the sudden contraction of the world economies.

Honda must protect its core business activities and secure the long term as widespread uncertainties in the economies around the globe continue to mount. A recovery is expected to take some time.

Under these circumstances, Honda has taken swift and flexible measures to counter this sudden and expansive weakening of the marketplace in all business areas. However, in recognition of the need to optimize the allocation of management resources, including investment regarding the future, we have decided to withdraw from Formula One participation. We will enter into consultation with the associates of Honda Racing F1 Team and its engine supplier Honda Racing Development regarding the future of the two companies. This will include offering the team for sale.

In its third era of Formula One activities, Honda has been participating in Formula One races from the 2000 season, initially with BAR, by adopting a new format of jointly developing racing machines. Subsequently, in a move to meet the changing environment surrounding Formula One, we switched to running a 100% Honda-owned team commencing with the 2006 season.

Surmounting many challenges, the Honda Team achieved a Grand Prix victory in 2006, enabling Honda to receive overwhelming support from Honda fans around the world that were looking forward to greater success. It, therefore, has been an extremely difficult decision for us to come to this conclusion without having been able to fully meet the expectations of our fans.

By making the best of what we have learned during these times of economic turmoil, coupled with the spirit of challenge gained through active participation in racing, we intend to continue with our commitment in meeting new challenges.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our fans and all those who have supported Honda’s Formula One efforts, including everyone in the world of Formula One.

Thank you very much."

Trulli says Singapore still a worry for F1 drivers

Formula One drivers are still fretting about the sport's first night race less than a month before Singapore's new street circuit makes its debut.

"It's a new circuit, we don't know much about it, the schedule, the times of running. we all are a little bit concerned about the night race and the poor weather which might occur there," Toyota's Jarno Trulli told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix on Thursday.

"It's a big question mark for everyone, we mustn't underestimate the situation."

Singapore will become the second new venue this season after last month's Valencia street race when the southeast Asian island state hosts the 15th round of the championship on Sept. 28 at the tail end of the monsoon season.

Unlike Valencia, which staged a couple of junior formula races on the street circuit a month before the grand prix to iron out any problems, Singapore remains untested.

"In Valencia they did a good job, so I am confident they can do a good job for Singapore," said Trulli. "But the location is different and the climate conditions are different.

"We are all a little bit uncertain because we probably don't have enough data. I haven't seen the circuit layout but that's not the problem. The problem is we don't know if the circuit is good enough, if the surface is good enough, if we have enough run-off areas, if the safety is good enough for a night race in wet conditions.

"There are several question marks and several concerns. I'm not saying that I don't want to race there, but that we might encounter some more problems than in Valencia."

Hamilton In A Class Of His Own In Montreal Qualifying

Not even a flying Robert Kubica and a track that was breaking up in places could stop Lewis Hamilton in Montreal on Saturday afternoon, as he planted his McLaren on pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix.

BMW Sauber’s Kubica had actually taken provisional pole away from him with a lap of 1m 18.498s compared to 1m 18.886s when Hamilton began his final run, but even though there were marbles in Turns Two, Seven and 10, the Briton somehow found another six-tenths of a second to put pole beyond reach with 1m 17.886s. He described himself as extremely comfortable with the car.

Neither of the Ferraris really got going in qualifying, as Hamilton dominated every session. In the end, Kimi Raikkonen placed his third with 1m 18.735s, but an unhappy Felipe Massa was only sixth on 1m 19.048s. In between them came Fernando Alonso with 1m 18.746s, but the Spaniard may again be using the light first-run strategy that Renault employed in Spain. Behind him, Nico Rosberg placed his Williams fifth, with a strong 1m 18.844s best.

Heikki Kovalainen was seventh in the second McLaren, with 1m 19.089s, leaving Nick Heidfeld eighth on 1m 19.633s for BMW Sauber and Rubens Barrichello ninth for Honda on 1m 20.848s.

Mark Webber will start 10th, but did not run in Q3 after spinning his Red Bull exiting slippery Turn Seven and damaging the right front suspension at the end of Q2.

That session saw Timo Glock out-qualify Toyota team mate Jarno Trulli for the first time, with 1m 18.031s to the Italian’s 1m 18.327s. Trulli had two spins, and will start 14th. Separating the TF108s are Kazuki Nakajima, who lapped his Williams in 1m 18.062s and David Coulthard with 1m 18.238s for Red Bull.

Sebastien Bourdais was 16th overall on 1m 18.916s for Toro Rosso, but was the fastest runner to be eliminated in Q1 and will start at the back after needing his gearbox changed this morning. Team mate Sebastian Vettel will be with him. He didn’t run at all in qualifying as his STR3 needs a new monocoque after his crash this morning.

The Force Indias of Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella will thus start 16th and 17th on 1m 19.108s and 1m 19.165s respectively. Jenson Button was 19th overall and will start 18th, his troubled Honda recording only 1m 23.565s thanks to gearbox problems.

The track surface is already occupying everyone ahead of a race in which safety cars are also expected to play a crucial role, such is the unforgiving nature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’s walls.