Honda look set to become further involved with BAR, with them either buying the team outright, or becoming a co-owner.
According to reports on
BBC Sport Online a deal is all but agreed.
Should the deal get the go-ahead, then it is predicted that team boss, David Richards will be replaced by managing director, Nick Fry.
A source close to the Brackley based team told the
BBC: "Honda will buy the team eventually - some time in the next 12 months.
"My understanding is that Honda is going to buy a percentage of BAR, but not a controlling interest.
"There is a deal done, but there are some loose ends to tie up."
Honda has yet to release any response to the story, but Fry added that there was 'nothing BAR can say at this stage'.
British Amercian Tobacoo [BAT], who own the team, have always maintained they will quit the sport by 2006, however with new anti-tobacco legislation set to be introduced next year, they are eager to opt out sooner rather than later. Also following BAR's success this year, finishing second in the constructors' championship, now is a good time to sell, as the teams market value has never been higher.
Adrian Reynard, the team's co-founder, has revealed though that the matter has yet to be raised to the BAR board.
"I hold two seats on the board, but this has not been a board subject, and the co-owners ought to know something about it," he explained. "It wasn't even discussed at the last board meeting and I don't know if it's going to be discussed at the next one, which is on Monday.
"But I can tell you it has always been my dream that Honda acquires either part or all of the BAR
F1 team, because I knew BAT's tenure was always going to be limited.
"I believed Honda was a perfect fit - it's a great company - and would dearly love it to be the caretaker of the team, so I am totally supportive of this happening."
A similar story has also appeared today [Thursday] in British newspaper,
The Guardian.
