Honda 2008 Review, Part Five: Was It All For Nothing?

I’m writing this article as a surprised, upset, angry and confused Honda fan.  If this truly is the end of ‘my team’ then I fear that the whole of 2008 will have been a complete waste of time.  Sadder still for me; if the team is finished I think this will act as a final nail in the coffin for my support of F1. 

I have watched what I believe to be the greatest sport in the world slowly destroy itself in pursuit of wealth rather than support.  I also completely agree with and support Fernando’s statement that if engines are standardised he will walk; Nando mate I’ll hold the door for you.

If you ask me cigarette sponsorship should never have been banned (As a history student I can tell you that even in times of economic hardship cigarette sales stay strong!).  I also write this as a non-smoker who was never "tempted" to smoke simply because my team was branded with Lucky Strike!  With the support of British American Tobacco Honda would probably be in a stronger position.

Finally if anything should be standardised, its chassis.  Better, fairer racing and truly a race of constructors.  If Honda was failing then it would be the fault of the engine...simple as.

So there you go; my small depressing rant.  I will continue my season review of the team I so passionately support, but fear that these may well be the last thoughts I report on F1.

2008 Season review of Honda Racing F1: Part Five, Belgium to Singapore 

Belgium: 7th September 2008

Qualifying:
Jenson Button (JB): 16
Rubens Barrichello (RB): 17

Race:
JB: 15
RB: DNF

So was it worth it Honda? To scrap 2008 in favour of a season you might not participate in! I guess time will tell.

The excitement of initial practices in Valencia last race weekend was not re-produced on Friday or Saturday at Spa.  In fact, on Saturday fuel pressure problems led to Jenson only taking part in 300 yards of practice!

Yet another qualifying disaster led to Rubens and Jenson lining up 16th and 17th respectively.  Soft tyers and front wing tweaks did nothing to help the team break out of Qually one.  Unfortunately Honda’s performance in 2008 Spa qualifying was actually worse than in 2007 where Jenson had managed to get the dismal RA107 up to 12! (Rubens was 17th).

The race wasn’t much better for Honda who admitted that they had brought the wrong aero package.  Rubens started reasonably well, fighting with David Coulthard for a few laps before problems with his gear box meant he had to retire with 24 laps to go.  He had lost sixth gear which unfortunately meant (due to the new gearbox systems in the cars) that he had to go through sixth to get the seventh. 

This put un-wanted strain on his engine (which had to be used again at Monza); the team thought it best to retire him.  Jenson fought throughout reaching 14th at one point.  He eventually finished 15th, making up two places and finishing better than last year (2007, DNF).

Italy: 14th September 2008

Qualifying:
JB: 19
RB: 16

Race:
JB: 15
RB: 17

Unfortunately Honda was not able to capitalise on a topsy turvy grid that saw the world champion and championship leader only manage 14th and 15th respectively. No doubt Saturday belonged to Torro Rosso, and deservedly so, but what happened to Honda’s two "wet specialists!?"

Much like Mclaren’s mistake with Hamilton, Barrichello made a mistake with tyre selection. According to Rubens, due to miscommunication when he came in for a stop he was given new tyres and wing reduction. When in actual fact he had wanted the exact opposite! Button’s troubles were simply due to the fact that he couldn’t warm the tyres up, he couldn’t handle the RA108 which probably drove like a kart on ice!

Both drivers were shocked and disappointed at their positions (JB 19, RB 16). Despite knowing that rain was going to be a factor, neither RA108 was able to cope with new tyres; yet again Honda failed to break into Q2.

Jenson started from the pits, although he didn’t lose much time due to the safety car start, he later said that his tyres and brakes had been far too cold. He then struggled in the spray with poor visibility before ending up in a fight with his friend, (but 2008 nemesis) David Coulthard.

This compromised his middle stint and ultimately his race. Towards the end though, with worn wet tyres he began to pick up the pace. For a while he was even ahead of world Champ and Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen! Which is somewhere Jenson had not been for a long time.

Unfortunately, at the end of the day after his stop for intermediates, he only managed 15th. Jenson admitted that the team had not had a good weekend (again!).

Poor old Rubens’s only hope for a decent result was a risk that didn’t pay off. The use of slicks with ten laps left was a gamble, alas the track was too wet. Rubens reckoned that perhaps sticking to wets would have moved him up in the end, but that there was nothing really to lose in trying something different; p 17 was all that he managed.

Singapore: 28th September 2008

Qualifying:
JB: 12
RB: 18

Race:
JB: 9
RB: DNF

I know people are going to complain about what I have to say now.  For me, the Singapore GP epitomised everything that is wrong with F1.  It was ridiculously extravagant and frankly if it hadn’t been for Ferrari’s stupidity the race would have been a re-run of Valencia.  

At a time when the world was on the brink of almost total collapse, Formula 1 hosts an overly extravagant show, lit by 1,600 diesel-powered lights, with next to no overtaking places - I was not looking forward to it.  Bernie Ecclestone proudly stated that these lights would need generators “the size of living rooms,” so this means that a sport that is already highly negative for the environment has gone a whole step further!

We were told that the whole point of this race is that we Europeans can, in the words of  “F1 Racing” watch it “without having to set [our] alarms for stupid O’clock.”  Or maybe, in true F1 style it is mostly for the commercial benefit that the city of Singapore would receive from a potentially bigger audience.

 Honda had looked pretty strong in the race build up with Jenson regularly putting in top 10 times; so qualifying looked promising for car number 16.  Sure enough on Saturday Jenson was up to P10 at one point in Q1, and though he eventually finished the session in 14th, for the first time in a while Honda made it into Q2. 

Rubens’s day was not as promising, traffic and yellow flags made it difficult for the Brazilian who ended up 18th.  Things were made worse, when he was later given a 10,000 Euro fine for a pit lane drama with BMW’s Nick Heidfeld.

The hugely unfortunate fuel supply problem that finished Alonso’s chances of getting into Q1, (and most probably his chances of another front row start) gave an opportunity to a driver who might not usually get into the final round. 

Ironically that spot was given to the lucky championship leader Lewis Hamilton, who struggled in Q2.  Jenson had a chance to knock out his fellow Brit but, unfortunately, under-steer and low grip compromised his lap.  He finished a very respectable 12th and was pretty happy with the car’s performance.

Rubens’s weekend was never looking too promising and sure enough on lap 17 he had to retire as his engine was experiencing problems.  His weekend was summed up by his actions on the way back to the garages, when he had kindly intended to throw his gloves into the crowd and they ended up in the sea!     

Jenson, however, quietly got on with his race, pitting when he needed to and working well with the safety car periods.  He was certainly good for tenth place (which is about where Jenson had been all weekend) when a silly mistake from Raikkonen gifted him ninth place.
Alonso had also looked great all weekend; he too capitalised on good luck and drove very well to take his first win for a year. 
 
So there you have it; perhaps my penultimate F1 article. I truly hope not, I love the Honda Team and will support Jenson where ever he goes.  The same goes for Rubens.  Fingers crossed over the next few days; if all else fails…see you in the WRC section!

Final three coming up next week.