'Honda ready to dump Barrichello'

[Dare]

'Honda ready to dump Barrichello'
Tuesday 30th October 2007
 
According to reports, Honda are preparing to relegate the 'past-it' Rubens Barrichello to their 'B-team' Super Aguri next season.


Although the Brazilian has a contract with the Brackley outfit for the 2008 season, F1 Racing Magazine claims that the team has lost faith in the 35-year-old after he was comprehensively out-raced by Jenson Button during the second half of the 2007 campaign.


The magazine cites Barrichello's undistinguished performance in China - where he finished in 15th place, ten positions behind Button - as being the breaking point in their relationship. It claims that 'the team's engineers, in particular, have become frustrated by what they see as a lack of effort on their driver's part' and quotes one mechanic grumbling in Shanghai, "We think he got scared. It's about time he retired, isn't it?"


Confidence in Barrichello has also reputedly dried up amongst the team's hierarchy.


'Many F1 insiders now feel that, like fellow veterans Alex Wurz, Ralf Schumacher and Giancarlo Fisichella, Rubens has passed his sell-by date. What's new is that many Honda insiders now feel the same way,' the magazine reports.


'There is a growing faction within Honda that favours relegating Barrichello to Super Aguri for 2008. Crucially, Rubens no longer has the support within Honda of his friend and countryman Gil de Ferran, who resigned as sporting director in July of this year. Why else, pray, was the Interlagos paddock awash with rumours that Fry was actively re-engaging in the '08 driver market?

[Andy B]

Your only as good as your last result and with the season over its a telling tale. RB has not consistantly beaten JB sinse joining Honda so if they wish to be an upper team next your they need someone to push JB and put points on the board.
I dont think I waould miss him I still think of him as MS's No2.

[Steven Roy]

I bet he wishes they had put him in Super Aguri this season.

[SennaMan]

I bet he wishes they had put him in Super Aguri this season.

sound thinking SR - HONDA is a b sick team, perhaps the very worst in F1 and instead of dumping RB who is a very talented driver they should really fire everyone of the incompetent twits who produced the 'dog' of all the 2007 F1 cars

who the hell could get motivated in driving the barge that was the HONDA this year!

great image and liverie though

typical gutless management who can not admit their incompetence but shaft a good driver as their scapegoat

i have nothing but contempt for their screwed up organisational structures which appoint top end Japanese managers over European racing know how

until this fundamental weakness is addressed HONDA have a snowflakes chance in hell in performing at the top level

sorry for the rant but JB and RB are better off elsewhere

they simply are far better than the disaster they were expected to drive competively 

[cosworth151]

I just hope that Super Aguri doesn't end up with that piece of cr*p car next year.

[romephius]

Personally I prefer to think it's a case of revering the names in the title...... and every sane person would back Reubens up on his descision

Rom