[06/10/05 - 14:23]
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/img/vide.gif
New team unveiling could be within weeks
'I think there is a 65 percent chance' - Fry
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/img/l3.gif
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/img/vide.gif
http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/photos/...-31_220905.jpg
http://f1.racing-live.com/img/loupe.gif Zoom
Two Honda teams in Formula One in 2006?
The unveiling of an eleventh Grand Prix team for next year could be less than one month away, Nick Fry, the team chief of its expected technical backer BAR Honda, said today at Suzuka.
Honda made it known that they have been asked to supply engines to a mysterious new outfit earlier this week, when they confirmed they have bought a 100 percent shareholding in the BAR team. Fry said talks with the as yet unnamed outfit began more than two months ago.
"It is going to be very difficult to do next year but we will try to do it and see what happens," said Fry.
"Honda would not have mentioned this unless it was relatively credible and you don't come out and say these things without a fair bit of activity having happened previously so I am sure the potential new team has done its homework. These are credible people with motor racing experience and the financial backing to do the job. We are not talking about an under-funded team here, and clearly they have convinced Honda, Bernie (Ecclestone) and us that this has got potential."
"I think there is a 65 percent chance, certainly better than evens, that it will happen because if it was not that we would not be saying anything. They have a high degree of capability, proven capability to put together a team."
Fry refused to reveal the nationality of the company behind the new team, which is understood to have a strong grounding in motorsport and, due to the Honda link, has been rumoured to come from Japan. He confirmed the agreement would be for the supply of an up-to-date V8 engine as well as technical support and suggested that the outfit would have to be based in Britain to maximise the support BAR plan to provide.
The deadline for applications to race next year is in mid-November and with just six months to go before the 2006 season the team should be well on the way to completing their designs for a new car. Fry did not reveal the status of the chassis project but suggested that, rather than designing a brand new car, the teams creation would depend on them being allowed to use the car raced by BAR this year. Such a move is generally considered outside the rules and when asked how likely it would be that the regulations could be interpreted in a way that allows second-hand chassis Fry was cautious.
"Those discussions havent happened yet," he said.
"Clearly there are well-defined rules in Formula One that spell out what you can and cant do but they do give the ability (to run old cars). We believe that is what Red Bull will do with their second team. There are ways of meeting those regulations while giving a good level of technical support. The agreement is to supply engine and technical support, and the definition of technical support is open ended. We have to obey the Formula One rules so it will be down to them to convince the FIA that is what they have done."
BAR Honda driver Takuma Sato, who will lose his drive to Rubens Barrichello next year, has been offered a race seat at the new team if it is given the go-ahead and BAR test driver Anthony Davidson could also join.
"It is obviously a very good place for Taku to go," Fry continued.
"Obviously with Honda engine backing, the same engine as we are using next year, it is not going to be a year out of date engine, so it is promising for him. Anthony has got a good chance, would be my view. He has proven himself and he keeps proving himself. At the last test, last week, he did an absolutely sensational job and he wants to drive a race car. He is well known to Honda and we would not stand in his way, even though it would be a loss to our testing efforts if he went elsewhere, but it is not something we are going to prevent him from doing."
Source AFP
