Honda Racing
F1 has revealed that neither
Jenson Button or
Rubens Barrichello is guaranteed to remain on board into the 2009
Formula One campaign, despite the indifferent performance of the team this season.
Even though the two drivers have struggled to score points as Honda again fields a below-par car, CEO Nick Fry has told
GP Week that the team is not short of suitors for next season, and that the right combination of offers could see the current line-up turfed out.
"We're open-minded at the moment, and our drivers are aware of that," he claimed, "Obviously, when you have a team principal and technical guru like Ross [Brawn] in the team, we become possibly even more attractive than we were before - and the change in the regulations for next year gives teams like us a big opportunity.
"Hopefully, we can take advantage of that. At the moment, we're not short of offers."
While the likes of double world champion
Fernando Alonso has been mentioned a potential candidate for a Honda seat in 2009 - despite professing a desire to be winning races and thought to have a
Ferrari deal on the table for 2010 - there is still equally fanciful talk about IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick being given an opportunity to try out.
Fry, however, attempted to set the record straight on Patrick, having been quoted since Canada as saying that the American did and did not have a test slated for later in the year.
"The story seems to have been a bit more exaggerated that what is the truth," he commented, "What we actually said is that, if Danica wants to have a drive in our car at the end of the season, we'd be very open to the idea. But, to make it very clear, there has been no request thus far from Danica.
"The door is open if she's interested.... [and] I would say it's absolutely not just promotional. I think neither she or we would be interested in that because these things are just to expensive to run for a bit of fun."
