OFFICIAL: Honda F1 sold to Ross Brawn

By Phil Huff
March 6 2009

As revealed by RealHondaF1.com nearly two weeks ago, the Honda Racing F1 team has been sold to existing team principal Ross Brawn. The news was presented to the staff at Brackley yesterday evening, and confirmed by Honda Motor Co in Tokyo at midnight GMT.

Honda have cleared all debts of the team, paid all leases, and transferred ownership of all assets to Brawn, who will enter the 2009 season with a modified version of the RA109, mated to a Mercedes Benz engine.

Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello are to be retained as drivers, according to our sources.

“We are very pleased that we could sell the team to Ross Brawn,” said Hiroshi Oshima, Managing Officer of Honda Motor Co., “with whom we have been partaking in the challenges of F1 competition, and are grateful for his decision. We offer our sincerest wishes for the new team which will be led by Ross.”

The team are due to shakedown the 2009 challenger today, before heading to Barcelona next week for four days of testing.

A further announcement is expected later today from Brackley, but news of the final team identity and sponsorship packages aren’t expected until the team arrive in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix.