Despite having claimed that ‘everyone' in the
Formula 1 paddock would like to employ double world champion
Fernando Alonso, Ross Brawn has stressed that
Honda is not a suitable destination for the Spaniard – yet.
Honda is just one of the destinations the disaffected
Renault star has been linked with for the 2009
F1 campaign, along with – most prominently –
Ferrari and BMW-Sauber.
Whilst the Japanese concern's team principal may have made no secret of his admiration for Alonso's talent [see separate story –
click here], he has sought to downplay suggestions that the 26-year-old will be seen at Brackley anytime soon.
“I think we've got to get ourselves sorted out as a team first before we start aspiring to drivers of that sort,” Brawn told the
BBC.
The former Ferrari technical director admitted that Honda has been ‘flattered' by speculation linking Alonso to the team, but insisted that current drivers
Jenson Button and
Rubens Barrichello – both of whom are out of contract at the end of the current season – are ‘very good'.
“Either of them have shown themselves capable of winning races,” he underlined. “Let's wait and see what happens this year.”
The 55-year-old was also keen to assert that, whilst 2008 is now something of a ‘consolidation year' for the struggling outfit, Honda has not given up its efforts on trying to drag more pace out of its lacklustre and underperforming RA108, with further improvements still in the pipeline.
He did acknowledge, though, that the team's principal focus has now switched to 2009 and beyond, when sweeping technical regulation changes will come into play and arguably deliver a more level playing field in the top flight.
“One advantage we have is we're not fighting for a championship,” Brawn reflected. “When you are, you have to put a lot of resources into fighting for that championship.
