A brighter future for Ross Brawn and co.?

HONDA
Drivers Jenson Button (GB) & Rubens Barrichello (Brazil)
Championship points 14

Read Grid Crasher’s verdict on Honda below:

The self-proclaimed greenest team in F1 - spot the oxymoron - has underperformed in the first half of the season, especially considering the amount of cash in the Honda coffers. We know that F1 is more competitive than at any time in its history, but Honda would not expect to be 8/10 in the constructors’ championship.

However, the future looks much brighter, thanks mostly to the Ross Brawn effect. Brawn is widely considered to be the best tactician in the paddock, and he showed his worth to Honda with a strategy that helped put Rubens Barrichello on the podium at slippery Silverstone. That was the team’s best result of the season so far; Jenson Button’s strong showing at Hockenheim yesterday was another sign that the only way is up.

Honda clearly has good people in place - all it needs is a good car. Work on the 2009 model continues in the background, and we expect the team to be much more competitive next season.

The second half of 2008 may be seen as a shootout between Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button for a seat next year. Brawn has been making noises about signing a big-name driver (he wants Fernando Alonso, but probably won’t get him), and it seems less likely now that both incumbents will keep their job.

Rubens is doing a better job than Jenson, clearly. The Brazilian has improved since his poor start, and seems to be reaping the rewards from re-uniting with Brawn (the pair were together at Ferrari for many years). Button, meanwhile, is struggling and although he reportedly has an option to retain his seat for 2009, it could be that the British driver has to look for a new team next season.

Brawn knows that 2008 is a washout, but we expect Honda to improve considerably in 2009.
Grade C

Targets for the second half of the season? Overhaul Renault and Williams in the table. Choose between Barrichello and Button for 2009. Focus on the car for next season.