Rubens Barrichello will retain his seat at the soon-to-be-renamed Honda Racing team provided a sale is successfully completed, according to reports.
Autosport.com reported this morning (Tuesday) that Barrichello has been given the nod over the other main contender for the vacant drive, fellow Brazilian Bruno Senna.
Jenson Button is assured of a place in the new team, but until recently 25-year-old Senna was thought likely to partner him due to a combination of his name, long-term prospects and marketability to sponsors.
Instead it now seems that Barrichello, 36, will extended his record as Formula 1’s most experienced driver.
However, no confirmation of the driver line-up is expected until Honda has completed its sale of the team, which has been on the market since early December.
Japan’s biggest circulation newspaper, the Yomiuri, reported on Tuesday that an announcement of the team’s new ownership was imminent.
The newspaper quoted a source at the company’s Tokyo headquarters as saying: “We expect to be able to make an announcement from the company and the team in the near future.
“Honda has been making all possible efforts to avoid the worst option of having to disband the team.”
Honda’s board in Tokyo is understood to have approved a management buyout of the Brackley-based outfit headed by team principal Ross Brawn.

source[www.itv-f1.com]

 

Thank God Brawn went for Rubens. Senna may be talented, but he would have been no help this year in helping the team get up to speed with the 09 regs in terms of setting up the car and giving feedback to the engineers.

 

I'd much rather see some new blood than have Barrichello just lapping casually to add races to his record.

 

Well geez, when you put it like that.... Now I just sound like an idiot!

 

Both are non-factors.

 

Barichello would has been served better as the old timer, know it all for USF1. I think going back to Honda for another year is pointless for the team. Button can do the development work himself as he has been with the team for so long.

Some new blood would have been nice to see. I'm still wondering why Senna has signed on to race DTM next year. Is sounds like he is delaying his career to me.

 

Wheres the news, I thought Senna was confirmed for a seat in DTM about a week ago?

 

Mercedes-Benz is in talks with Bruno Senna about teaming up for the DTM championship in 2009, Norbert Haug admitted on Wednesday.

With Honda said to have elected to sign Rubens Barrichello this season instead of the Brazilian's rookie countryman, the Swiss newspaper Blick recently predicted a move to the German touring car series for Senna, 25.

"There are talks but no decision," Haug, in charge of the German marque Mercedes' motorsport programmes, told the news agency SID.

Senna was second in the GP2 series last year and tested with Honda at the end of the season.

E.A, Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

 

While agree that Rubens would be of great help to USF1 (I think they've now changed their name because Bernie owns the copyright to F1), I disagree that Button could have developed the car. He's been on the team now for the past 5 years, and while agree that a lot depends on engineers, I just think Button is not in the top tier. Obviously Ross Brawn who served with Rubens at Ferrari must have some faith in Rubens being able to develop the car. Brawn oversaw the resurgence of Ferrari under Schumacher, so Rubens must be bringing something to the table in terms of development. Plus it helps the Rubens was on Ferrari with Brawn. Just my $.02

 

agreed.... plus since Rubens has been at Honda he's out preformed Button.... I thought 2005 might of been Jenson's year but that obviously was not the case .... I think it's safe to say that Buttons best performances are behind him