Post by Alonso_Ferrari on Feb 10, 2009 16:51:06 GMT
Jenson Button’s Formula 1 career could be over at the age of 29 if Honda closes its doors for good before the start of the new season.
That is the stark warning from the Briton’s friend and former rival David Coulthard, who fears that Button could be left on the F1 scrapheap unless a buyer comes forward to rescue his beleaguered Brackley team.
Button’s hopes of entering into his 10th consecutive campaign now appear to rest entirely on Honda’s continued presence after Toro Rosso gave the one remaining confirmed seat on the grid to Sebastien Bourdais last week.
And Coulthard, who retired from the sport after 14 years at the end of last season, believes his British compatriot may find it hard to work his way back should he be left without a 2009 drive.
"You cannot say 100 percent that's the fact,” he told Reuters.
“But it would be very difficult to imagine if this doesn't work out where he goes from there.
“It is a fickle business.”
He added that the trend for teams promoting talented young drivers to race seats could snuff out Button’s hopes for a return should be lose out this year.
"The way the sport is now, there are so many young drivers coming through and there are so many opportunities for teams to pick up these guys," he said.
Button has been left facing an uncertain future since Honda stunned the F1 world by pulling the plug on its F1 involvement with immediate effect and putting its Brackley operation up for sale last December.
The British ace himself had only recently committed to a fresh contract with the team he has been with since 2003 and was confident it was ready to bounce back from two wretched campaigns with the first car built under Ross Brawn’s technical leadership.
Coulthard says his friend has maintained his normal training regime through the winter but that should Honda survive, in what is likely to be a streamlined operation, he would have to realign his ambitions with the team and eventually look elsewhere to reach the front.
"Whereas going into previous years with Honda he was all full of hope and expectation that this could be the year that Honda will step up, he has to take a different view now," DC said.
"He has to now consider himself as driving for a mid-grid, privateer team.
"Whether they can deliver to his expectations or not is more difficult to judge going into this season and presumably longer term he has to be looking to try to make a step up to a manufacturer team,"
Discussions remain ongoing over the future of Honda with the team only recently dismissing suggestions a new owner had to have been secured by the end of January to stave off closure.
A management buyout led by current team CEO Nick Fry has been mooted as the most likely rescue deal in recent weeks, with the team insisting that it remained “optimistic” of being on the grid in Melbourne on March 29.
FIA president Max Mosley told journalists at a lunch last week that he thought Honda had a “70% chance” of making the first race
That is the stark warning from the Briton’s friend and former rival David Coulthard, who fears that Button could be left on the F1 scrapheap unless a buyer comes forward to rescue his beleaguered Brackley team.
Button’s hopes of entering into his 10th consecutive campaign now appear to rest entirely on Honda’s continued presence after Toro Rosso gave the one remaining confirmed seat on the grid to Sebastien Bourdais last week.
And Coulthard, who retired from the sport after 14 years at the end of last season, believes his British compatriot may find it hard to work his way back should he be left without a 2009 drive.
"You cannot say 100 percent that's the fact,” he told Reuters.
“But it would be very difficult to imagine if this doesn't work out where he goes from there.
“It is a fickle business.”
He added that the trend for teams promoting talented young drivers to race seats could snuff out Button’s hopes for a return should be lose out this year.
"The way the sport is now, there are so many young drivers coming through and there are so many opportunities for teams to pick up these guys," he said.
Button has been left facing an uncertain future since Honda stunned the F1 world by pulling the plug on its F1 involvement with immediate effect and putting its Brackley operation up for sale last December.
The British ace himself had only recently committed to a fresh contract with the team he has been with since 2003 and was confident it was ready to bounce back from two wretched campaigns with the first car built under Ross Brawn’s technical leadership.
Coulthard says his friend has maintained his normal training regime through the winter but that should Honda survive, in what is likely to be a streamlined operation, he would have to realign his ambitions with the team and eventually look elsewhere to reach the front.
"Whereas going into previous years with Honda he was all full of hope and expectation that this could be the year that Honda will step up, he has to take a different view now," DC said.
"He has to now consider himself as driving for a mid-grid, privateer team.
"Whether they can deliver to his expectations or not is more difficult to judge going into this season and presumably longer term he has to be looking to try to make a step up to a manufacturer team,"
Discussions remain ongoing over the future of Honda with the team only recently dismissing suggestions a new owner had to have been secured by the end of January to stave off closure.
A management buyout led by current team CEO Nick Fry has been mooted as the most likely rescue deal in recent weeks, with the team insisting that it remained “optimistic” of being on the grid in Melbourne on March 29.
FIA president Max Mosley told journalists at a lunch last week that he thought Honda had a “70% chance” of making the first race