It’s official: Honda F1 is now dead and gone. (Long live Honda F1!) They didn’t need the likes of Sir Richard Branson riding up on his white horse to save them, either. Instead, like any good coming-of-age story, their salvation came from within their own ranks.
Since F1 usually holds onto secrets approximately as well as a sieve holds onto water, what had been rumoured for some time did in fact come to pass: Ross Brawn bought the ailing Brackley-based concern outright and has now renamed it Brawn GP.
What of testing, the launch, and the driver lineup? Testing is currently under way for the brand new BGP 001, and further private testing will occur throughout this week. The team’s colour scheme appears to be yellow, black, and white, and a formal launch announcement has not yet been made, although an unofficial photo has surfaced.
The driver lineup will be Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, which means Bruno Senna will have to sit the dance out one more time. Also, the team will be powered by Mercedes-Benz engines, as had been expected. All in all, an unsurprising end to months of speculation, but we’re very much looking forward to a full grid at Australia! 