11th F1 team in '06

**^^v** · 07-10-2005 12:56 AM

well i guess this is the new talking point in f1 atm...
a new team for '06? rumour has it that this team could be Japanese (read article in 2nd post)...

[06/10/05 - 13:42]

Honda’s second engine supply
Team identity remains the subject of speculation

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Honda willing to supply the new team with V8s
Little is known about the second team that Honda could supply its V8 powerplants to next year and certainly in Japan this weekend it is a hot topic for debate.

Speaking in the build up to the Japanese Grand Prix weekend Takuma Sato let it be known that the team looking to enter the series next year has made him an offer to race with the team. It now seems that current BAR Honda test driver Anthony Davidson is also in the frame to line-up alongside Sato according to reports from SpeedTV.

Honda is in talks with the mysterious new team about engine supply and admit that the chassis may well be rather similar to the current 007 design raced this year by Sato and Jenson Button. Other than that, the rest is speculation but it seems we may have an 11th team on the grid in Formula One in 2006. And then again, we may not.

Honda of course has supplied more than one team with engines in the past, most recently with BAR and Jordan in 2002, but with Honda taking complete ownership of BAR ahead of the 2006 season, they face a very busy build up to the new season.

In the meantime, we await for the identity of this new team to be revealed.

Earl ALEXANDER
© CAPSIS International

**^^v** · 07-10-2005 12:57 AM

[06/10/05 - 14:23]

New team unveiling could be within weeks
'I think there is a 65 percent chance' - Fry

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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

**TwEigh** · 07-10-2005 01:34 AM

Mugen Honda F1 !!

it will be the first time after how many years was it? that there are 22 cars in the F1 grid.

**^^v** · 07-10-2005 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by TwEigh

Mugen Honda F1 !!
.

we can all hope cant we? lolz

more info here...

As to the team’s identity, original favourites Dome have now been discounted after founder Minoru Hayashi and technical director Akiyoshi Okuto issued firm denials yesterday. Speculation is now focussing on Super Aguri, the Japanese team headed by former Zakspeed, Larrousse and Footwork F1 racer Aguri Suzuki. Believe the rumours and Takuma Sato will be the lead driver, and may be joined by BAR tester Anthony Davidson (Sato's F3 team mate at Carlin Motorsport in 2001), who is also chasing drives with Williams, BMW and Jordan.

f1.com

**hihidamon** · 07-10-2005 01:12 PM

I remember Dome was testing for its "thought-to-be" F1 debut back in the late 90's. It tested around the suzuka circuit with their prototype chassis and "yet-to-be-debuted" bridgestone tyres, of course with the Muden Honda engine with which Olivier Panis won the 96 Monaco GP.

For whatever reasons, Dome didnt turn up to the grid at the end. However with full backings from Honda, and probably with Bridgestones, they could become an All-Nippon Honda B team in 06?

The fact that next year Honda F1 (A team) will race with the proven Michellins and I assume that this Honda B team (same v8 engine), will no doubt be partnering Bridgestone, Honda has pretty much got themselves covered for next year.