Richards hopes Honda can find buyer

[John S]

David seems to suggest that Honda never expected to get a serious buyer for the team. So will a proper team emerge from all this?

By Simon Strang and Jonathan Noble Today, Autosport.com

Prodrive boss David Richards has said he hopes Honda Racing can find a buyer to ensure the team make it onto the grid in Melbourne - even though he is no longer in the running for a takeover.

Richards had been in talks with the Brackley-based team's chiefs at the end of last year about heading up a buyout – in the wake of the announcement that the Honda Motor Company wanted to withdraw from the sport with immediate effect.

And although Richards was unable to conclude a deal, as autosport.com revealed earlier this month, he says that he would still like to see another party be more successful in their negotiations.

Speaking to autosport.com, Richards said: "I really hope there is a solution there because there are a lot of great people at that team.

"It is a team that should be racing and I am still a great supporter of Jenson Button. I think he has never had his fair opportunity to shine and show his true talents.

"But being realistic, in the current world, it's going to be a very difficult uphill battle."

With the team needing around six weeks to integrate an engine into their 2009 car design, Honda Racing effectively need to settle on a deal in the next fortnight if they are to make the season-opening race.

Sources close to the negotiations suggest that there is optimism the situation will get resolved by the Australian Grand Prix, but Richards claims that the process has not been helped by the timing of Honda's decision to withdraw from the sport when they did.

Asked whether it would have been better to put the team up for sale once they had proved their their 2009 package was competitive Richards replied: "It was never their intention to sell the team, that's the difference. As I understand it, it was not Honda's intention, nor their preconception that it would be a realistic proposition.

"If it had been thought about and pre-planned a little bit more then I am sure it would have been done differently."

[Scott]

Here it is, the end of January...and still no announcement beyond Nick saying last month that there are 12 serious offers on the table.  Surely all 12 of these parties would realize that to have a realistic chance of competing in 2009 and even getting on the grid for Melbourne, that they must conclude the deal in the next week or two at the very latest.  After that, I think the team will simply be dissolved.  The value of the team will drop and drop the longer it takes to conclude the deal as the chances of them making any impact this year will decrease as the time goes on.  Honda aren't testing, and as much as they say they are hard at work, I bet they aren't being given anything from Honda above their salaries and enough to pay the electric bills. 

Since Honda are reportedly only asking a nominal sum for the team itself, and only are asking for confirmation of financial support to maintain the team for the foreseeable future, then there is no point for a serious buyer to prolong the negotiations for a better price. 

I really don't know what is going on, but I suspect that Nick himself is as usual, mucking things up (feel free to replace that m with an f).