Honda will be ‘one of the best places to be' in
Formula 1 next year – that is the conviction of
Rubens Barrichello, despite the big-budget Japanese manufacturer's woeful 2008 form to-date.
With a raft of new regulations sweeping the sport in 2009, there will indeed be a far more level playing field – though suggestions that all teams will be starting with a completely fresh sheet of paper may be somewhat optimistic.
Honda is enduring its second bleak campaign in succession this year – Barrichello's inspired, strategy-aided
Silverstone podium two weeks ago aside – with just eleven points on the board for the Brazilian at the midway stage, and a mere three for fellow former grand prix-winning team-mate
Jenson Button.
Though he admitted to still not having a contract in place for next season, the man who has started more races in the top flight than any other driver in the sport's 58-year history admitted that he knew where he wanted to be in 2009.
“I haven't signed anything,”
F1SA quotes the 36-year-old as having told reporters at Hockenheim ahead of this weekend's German Grand Prix, a race in which he so memorably registered an emotional breakthrough triumph from 18th place on the grid with
Ferrari eight years ago.
“Of course I want to stay for next year. I think it's going to be one of the best places to be.”
Button has also indicated that nothing is set in stone as regards 2009 – ‘yet' – whilst the Brackley-based outfit's team principal Ross Brawn recently answered with a simple ‘yes' to questions about whether both drivers would remain on-board at Honda next year [see separate story –
click here].
