If that fact wasn’t a signal of intention in itself, it is worth noting that the only two teams to have done so prior to Honda were the hugely successful BRM, and current Formula One giants Ferrari.

Their creativity paid off: Honda got their first race win in the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix. At the close of the 1968, though, Honda’s team faced tragedy and chose to withdraw: driver Jo Schlesser crashed and died at the French Grand Prix.

Despite their withdrawal, Honda has maintained an incredibly successful career in formula one. As a manufacturer of parts, their forward thinking designs have meant that – when between 1983 and 1992, they provided engines for other F1 teams – cars with Honda engines took six Constructors Championships and saw five drivers race to Driver Championships in cars with Honda engines.

One such driver was the legendary Ayrton Senna, who won his three championships in cars with a Honda engine.

In the 21st century, Honda is now one of the world’s leading car manufacturers. It’s presence in F1 is perhaps now less well known to the casual viewer than it was in the 1960s, but lives on with a great degree of success as the Mercedes GP team, for which 7 times world champion Michael Schumacher now races.

And the forward thinking approach continues at Mercedes GP, as it does with Honda’s road vehicles. Honda’s current range of three hybrid cars represent the peak of innovation in the technology, and  – from the Insight Hybrid, through to the brand new CR-Z hybrid – the company are claiming that they offer the driver the best of both worlds; a car which is not only green and efficient, and that also offers great economy as well as a significantly lower carbon footprint, but which also offers no radical compromise in terms of performance and power. It is a somewhat proud claim and one worthy of serious investigation.

These variations on the hybrid car, like Honda’s confident early developments in F1 in the 1960s and their design work in the 80s and 90s, shows that the manufacturer has innovation at their heart.

Indeed, after several years waiting for a viable workable hybrid engine, after several expensive failures, Honda have produced a range of hybrid cars that look like achieving that lofty aim.

The first car in the range is the Honda Insight Hybrid, or as it has come to be known the Insight (Family Hybrid). The reason for this being that the Insight is Honda’s entry-level family hybrid car. Sharing the same levels of comfort as any petrol or diesel guzzling car in its price range, the Insight Hybrid is available for an on the road price of just £16,325.

The emission rate of just 101 g/km means that it qualifies to be exempt from road tax in the UK (Road Tax Band B) and if you live in London, it also means that you are exempt from the congestion charge.

Furthermore, with a fuel economy rating of 64.2 miles per gallon, you won’t be lining the pockets of the petrol companies too often either. It’s 1.3 litre petrol/electrical engine powers the car to a respectable 113 miles per hour, plenty along any motorway in the United Kingdom and on top of that, the car accelerates from 0-62 mph in just 12.5 seconds.

While the performance isn’t likely to send the car into warp speed, it is certainly more than enough to satisfy the environmentally conscious family driver seeking a practical, affordable and economically viable vehicle.

However the notion that hybrid cars can offer little more than that, even at their best, has also been shot to pieces with the introduction of the Honda CR-Z Hybrid, which hit the UK market in early 2010.

This is where Honda’s seemingly distinct worlds of F1 and roadworthy vehicles combine: Powered by a 1.5 litre petrol/electrical engine, the sporty CR-Z achieves 0-62 mph in an eyebrow raising 9.9 seconds and will keep accelerating up to a lip-smacking 124mph.

Where Honda began its life four years before its first Formula 1 victory as a small provider of road vehicles, it has now cemented its position as one of the foremost thinkers in the development of design in car manufacture, whether it’s in streamlining and speeding up F1 cars, or in developing low emissions vehicles.

His personal attack on Brawn GP drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barichello is nothing short of laughable, as they head the drivers championship after three races. Briatore referred to the championship as  ‘being fought between a driver who was almost retired and another one who is a good guy but a paracarro’, an Italian word for being as slow as a milepost at the side of the road, apparently.

Bitter Briatore is a man used to getting his own way, he has chosen to forget that he tried to sign the ‘paracarro’ Button this season for the Renault team, but now he is on a one man crusade to challenge the unity of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) by suggesting that the Brawn team should not be given a share of TV money.

As a new team Brawn are not automatically entitled to a slice of the TV rights pay out, but in a meeting last month an agreement was made by FOTA that the teams would stand united and give Brawn GP the right to their share the money in an effort to help out the newly formed team. At that point of course it was unthinkable that the new outfit would take the season by storm, or indeed throw F1 into controversy over it’s interpretation of the sports ambiguously worded new rules.

In the latest motorsport news, FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh has tried to calm the stormy waters kicked up by Briatore, he says there is a meeting scheduled by FOTA after the race in Bahrain where a call for calmness amongst the teams will be the order of the day.

“At the moment we’ve undertaken as a team to support Brawn, clearly, there’s a lot of support given by this team and Mercedes during the winter because we saw the importance of keeping Brawn in F1. It would now be hypocritical, because it happens to be painful for us because they’re competitive to not want to give them a proportion of the distribution under Concorde.”

Mercedes Benz Motorsport boss Norbert Haug has added fuel to the debate by saying:

“If they got a different interpretation of the rules we need to question ourselves – did we all influence the rules in the right way, were they written in the correct way and that is what we need to discuss in the future, I can understand Flavio’s position. But being self-critical, were the rules written precisely enough? Is that only an FIA issue? For me, clearly it is not only an FIA issue. It’s an issue of everybody involved.”

Clearly FOTA have a lot of talking to do to calm down Briatore and it remains to be seen if the group can once again find the unity shown during the pre-season.

As things happened Button crossed the finishing line ahead of Barrichello, under the safety car which had been called upon following the coming together of BMW’s Robert Kubica and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, with three laps remaining. Vettel was unable to keep control of his car as Kubica took the racing line, resulting in both cars losing part of their front wings. While both drivers continued it was only seconds before both  lost control of their cars, Kubica’s car written off and Vettel’s car badly damaged but driveable-albeit on three wheels.

Vettel was deemed to be in the wrong and received a ten place demotion on the starting grid for next weeks race in Malaysia, his Red Bull team were also fined $50,000 for telling their driver to stay out despite the damage to the car, when they should have advised him to retire.

The accident happened as Kubica and BMW’s strategy of using the hard compound tyre for the last stint of the race was starting to pay off for the Polish driver. Vetttel and Button were struggling to keep pace on the softer tyres which were rapidly fading and Kubica suddenly had the fastest car on the track.

Both Kubica and his team believe that he could have caught Button in the three remaining laps with the Pole claiming “I had a chance to win this race, I think  Sebastian (Vettel) was a bit too optimistic. Had this been the last corner okay, but there were three laps to go and he really had no chance to defend his position because I was so much quicker.”

Vettel apologised for what he called ‘a stupid racing accident’ adding ” Should I have let him go? You always want to fight. Maybe I should have let him go and bring home third place, but that’s life.’

World Champion Lewis Hamilton was the driver to gain most from the incident, making nonsense of McLaren claims that they are way behind the field with their 2009 car, Hamilton finished the race in fourth place behind the Toyota of Juano Trulli who was subsequently punished for using a flexible rear wing, moving the Brit up to third place in the F1 Motorsport results.

The rule that says that the driver that wins most races throughout the season wins the title, over a driver that may have more points but less race wins, is regarded as little more than nonsense and serving no real value. While not endorsing the change most are willing to accept it, but the second change regarding budget cuts for 2010 has left them fuming.

The Max Mosley proposed budget cap idea was approved by the FIA on Tuesday and means that teams can choose whether to operate within a budget cap of £30million per year and have more technical freedom to develop their cars and engines or continue spending what they want but with tougher restrictions.

Having made some massive cuts already the F1 teams had already committed to reduce costs by a further 50% for 2010, in some cases this would reduce their budget to around £150million, a figure deemed to be unsustainable in the current financial climate by Max Mosley.

On the face of it I quite like the rule. I think it will bring new teams to the sport, possibly the likes of Dave Richards who has suggested in the past that he could be tempted to bring Prodrive into F1 after all it is the characters like former team owners Eddie Jordan and Paul Stoddart that make the sport all the more interesting.

It would also be an equaliser of driving ability, if the rule is actually effective and the small teams can match the factory teams on performance.

Things have certainly changed in Formula 1 over the winter, the massive cost cutting exercise deemed necessary to maintain the future of the sport has brought the teams together, helpfulness and friendliness appears to have replaced the secrecy and frostiness that have come to represent F1 in recent years. Seeing bitter rivals McLaren and Ferrari working as one would have been unthinkable this time last year, but now the whole grid are currently working as one, as F1 finally reaches maturity and accepts it’s responsibilities.

Seeing the motorsport news that Honda were set to quit F1 because of the effects of the financial crisis on it’s core business, sent a shock wave through the paddock, it could have been and may still be, any of the manufacturer backed teams- and they sensed that. This appears to have had the effect of galvanising the teams more than ever before.

The drivers themselves seem much more upbeat than usual, the rule changes are hoped to make for closer racing this season and everyone believes that this may possibly be the best opportunity they will have of winning races. Throughout testing this is the message that is coming across, that it is a (more) level playing field for all of the teams and the best man will win.

Well it remains to be seen whether the new rules will make for better racing or if we will just see the same old F1 results week in week out. Whatever happens on the track lets hope that the teams continue to support each other in these difficult times.

Honda F1 2008

A couple of weeks back Honda UK team CEO,  Nick Fry suggested that he had received a substantial amount of enquiries regarding the sale of the Honda F1 team and that having whittled through them, had been left with ‘around a dozen’ suitable partners who would be considered to outline their bids and financial backing to team bosses in Japan.

At the same time Fry denied rumours that he was about to head a management buy out for the team, instead stating that he was acting on behalf of Honda-Japan, in screening applicants that were interested in taking the team on.

Since then Motorsport news has consistently reported that the Honda Racing team would be subject to a management buyout, led by Fry and team boss Ross Brawn. Last week saw F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone state that he would do all that he could to ensure the team remains in Formula One. While not being drawn on whether he would personally help finance the team, due to financial legalities within the sport, Ecclestone did none the less suggest that what ever barriers were put up, there was bound to be a solution possible.

Mercedes have already suggested that they would offer engines to the Honda team, always assuming that the buyer could put up a guarantee of payment for the estimated £8m per year. The team would have to make an almost immediate decision though as they have already suggested it will take six weeks to adapt the car for a new engine.

The latest F1 news in The Telegraph at the weekend has thrown a further spanner in the works, saying that a third, as yet unnamed party has thrown it’s name into the hat. What is more the company is described by a Honda source as being;  “reputable, able to bring long-term financial stability, with a brand image known throughout the world,”  the insider adds  “Formula 1 would do well to have them onboard.”

It seems that not everyone at Honda agrees and the ‘offer’ is being considered by the Honda F1 management team as an ‘hostile bid.’ As the spokesperson says Honda Motor Co have to consider the best option for the shareholders and the 750 staff employed by the Racing team, but one thing for sure is that time is fast running out and a decision needs to be made within the next few days, if we are to see Honda starting the 2009 season.

Monte Carlo

Former Formula one and top Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan cast a little doubt over the proposed Indian Grand Prix, due to be staged in New Delhi in 2011, when he said that he didn’t believe anyone would want to invest in Motorsport during the current global economic crisis. Given the situation in Formula one with it’s self imposed cost cutting exercise, you would say that Karthikeyan is probably right.

The former Jordan driver could not be accused of being negative, he was giving his own realistic view on a project on which work was supposed to begin in October 2008, that has since been postponed until later this year. In fact, Karthikeyan could hardly be more enthusiastic about the advantages of having an Indian Grand Prix, the Force India team has raised the sports profile in his country and he goes on to say:

“It will be very big for the whole of Asia because everyone will benefit, It will also be much better for fans in India to get closer to the sport.”

So, in these times of manufacturers and teams having to resort to making cost savings, is it right that Formula One should continue to appease any country that shows an interest in supporting the sport by offering the next, ‘best circuit in the world’, or should the governing body show some restraint in filling it’s own pockets with lucre and accept what it already has.

Along with the race in India, pencilled in for 2011, Bernie Ecclestone is also working to accommodate South Korea in 2010, and is believed to be keen to race in Russia. He is also under pressure from the manufacturers and sponsors and probably teams and drivers to reinstate a North American GP.

Today’s F1 motorsport news has talk of Italy building a street circuit in Rome, an idea first muted by former World Superbike promoter Maurizio Flammini in 1984, that has re-surfaced since Valencia and Singapore held street races last year. The Italians are hoping for an agreement to be reached for 2011 or maybe 2012, although no discussions have yet taken place with the FIA.

Monaco has a long association with F1, it is steeped with history, money and glamour. The racing on the other hand is seldom more than a procession around the tight streets of the principality and seldom lives up to expectation. Do we need anymore of this style of racing?

As Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said last year: “At least Monaco has its own history but to have three or four Monaco’s is too much!”

Toro Rosso 2008

With all the F1 teams having agreed to drastic cost cutting measures for the coming season, it is the smaller independent teams that stand to lose the most. So says Scuderia Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost talking about  F1 news in an interview with Autosport.

Having fared better than the other independents in the 2008 season, finishing in sixth place in the constructors championship with 39 points and having achieved their first victory against all the odds, with Sebastian Vettel’s win at the Italian Grand Prix, Tost says it will be hard to repeat that form in 2009.

While ultimately the changes are hoped to bring closer racing to the sport, Tost believes that the smaller teams will be playing catch up with the big boys throughout the coming season.

“History has shown that whenever there is a major change in the sport, the big teams react quickest, leaving the smaller ones to catch up. It is hard to say whether we can maintain or improve on what we achieved last year” said Tost.

Toro Rosso will also face the disadvantage of not having the Red Bull RB5 based STR4 ready for the track until March, although they will be testing in the Algarve next week with the 2008 car, presumably featuring some of the modifications required for this year.

Newly appointed driver Sebastien Buemi will be testing the STR3 in Portugal and looks set to be the youngest driver on the grid, come 29th March when the F1 season kicks of in Melbourne, Australia.

The 20 year old Swiss driver moves up from GP2 and also reserve team driver for the Red Bull Racing team for last season, has said “I will do all I can to bring home the best possible results and to show Red Bull that the confidence it has shown in me is justified.”

Buemi replaces Vettel at Toro Rosso who moves up to the Red Bull team, replacing the retired David Coulthard. Vettel’s F1 results in  Monza saw him become the youngest Grand Prix winner in history.

Toyota and McLaren will be showing their cars for the first time on January 15th and 16th respectively. They will be followed next week by Renault, Williams and BMW Sauber.

Further F1 news from the Ferrari team is that they are looking at bringing back the ill fated pit stop light system, albeit with modifications from the system that caused so much drama in 2008.

The Ferrari mechanics resorted to the more traditional lollipop for the last three races of 2008 after a mistake in the Singapore Grand Prix saw Felipe Massa drive away from his pit stop with the fuel hose still attached.

It seems that the team had switched the system from automatic to manual while the safety car was on the track and the pit stop was handled by a member of the pit crew rather than automatically showing the green light when the fuel hose had been disconnected.

Ferrari chose to revert to the lollipop for the final three races to avoid any overt pressure on the pit crew. The electronic system has since been analysed and software changes have been made that will prevent the car from leaving while the fuel hose is attached.

The blunder in Singapore came at a time when Massa seemed to be in control of the race and had pitted under the safety car. He was given the green light and accelerated down the pit lane with the fuel hose still attached to the car, taking a couple of pit crew out and almost hitting Adrian Sutil in the Force India car.

Massa had been a comfortable leader of the race up until the incident which resulted in a penalty and an eventual eighteenth place finish for the Brazilian. A costly mistake for the team when Massa and Lewis Hamilton were locked in an extremely tight battle for F1 results in the world championship.

A decision will be made next year, with Qiu suggesting that an assessment is being made to see whether the race can be made viable. A night race at the circuit may be seen as an option to the current programme, although it is difficult to see how that would improve the financial situation for the Chinese circuit, with Qiu claiming that ‘we would like to at least break even.’

The Shanghai track was built specifically for F1 at a cost of $241million and has hosted a Grand Prix since 2004. The track’s owners have an agreement to hold Formula 1 races until 2010, with rumours that they pay $50million annually for the race. The event has proved unpopular with the local people with stories of organisers shipping people in to the race free of charge to give the impression of a full house.

It would appear that Bernie Ecclestone does very nicely out of the Chinese Grand Prix even if nobody else does, as it has often been thought that the fees charged to China are among the highest for holding an F1 race. Qiu says “We want to create a win-win situation, for our side and for Bernie Ecclestone and the F1 organisers as well. If this is something we can do, and our co-operation is very happy and smooth, we will consider it.”

While Ecclestone continues to expand  Formula One into the growing Asia and Far East markets, Abu Dhabi, South Korea and India will be introduced in that order during the next three seasons, there is a growing concern emerging over the viability of not only the Shanghai circuit but also recent additions in Malaysia and Bahrain, all of which are struggling to find interest in the sport from it’s local people. Only Singapore have bucked the trend, but as Qiu says, “In Singapore… holding the event at night is a good way to attract tourists to a small country. Singapore is hosting this event in their own unique way but we have our own situation.” 

In other F1 news it has been confirmed that the Canadian Grand Prix will not be reinstated for 2009 after the Montreal City website claimed that Formula One was ‘making unreasonable demands.’ The statement also claims that F1 was asking for a guarantee of £93million over the next five years.