"I feel your pain"

[Dave B]

I found it a little strange that Rubens keep on driving. If I was two laps down, driving as hard as I could but without any hope of catching even my slowest rival, then I would have found it very difficult to keep pushing and not pulled into the pits and parked up.

I really don't see what Honda or Rubens gained from their performance on Sunday, it's not like they were testing new parts or trying out different set ups.

Any data is useful, and I think that RB was on his second engine anyway. But yes, I agree it must have been painful. Rubens is a pro, though, and would probably have kept driving even 20 laps down.

[jens]

Before this season there were both positive (especially before winter tests) and also sceptical opinions about Honda, but I think the car has turned out to be worse than anyone could have believed/imagined.

If in the last two seasons BAR/Honda managed to get out of the hole during the season, then this season they have shown hardly any signs of improving and I can't see much hope for the future. I'd say that even in 1999 BAR was more impressive - although they scored no points due to unreliablity (current Honda would be the same with '99 system), BAR was pretty quick and JV qualified often into Top10 and fought for points in races (and once even for podium as I recall). And it was clear that if BAR managed to find some reliablity, they would be a strong midfielder. But their predecessor Honda is simply hopeless at the present moment and seem not to understand their problems. I see that some have put a lot of hopes on 2008, but I simply can't see, where or how can they pull a rabbit out of the hat, especially as long as Honda won't make significant changes and Fry & Nakamoto keep their jobs.

[tinchote]

Any data is useful, and I think that RB was on his second engine anyway. But yes, I agree it must have been painful. Rubens is a pro, though, and would probably have kept driving even 20 laps down.

True, but then it is surprising they are not more organized as to test during the races. It would have been reasonable for RB to stop maybe to try a different setup, or something. I don't think they should quit the race, but staying dead last in the middle of a failure year and not try to do anything about it, feels really bad.

[Easy Drifter]

I've said t before and I will say it again: Honda and Toy interfere too much from Japan and also keep changing their own engineers so that they really do not learn the ropes of F1.

[Valve Bounce]

Here's a thought : is it possible for Team Honda to race the RA106 instead of the RA107 for the remainder of the year?

[fasttrakker55]

Feel for Rubens but its the best team for Jenson Button though. I never liked him after what he did to Frank Williams, that was when he lost all his integrity and honour as an individual. Seeing him waste his career in this waste of a team is just so pleasing. At least when he retires he can say "I've won in Formula 1" not mentioning the fact that it was a freak race with many retirements, etc...another Brazil 2003. =)

[Hawkmoon]

I think it might be time for Honda to give up their dreams of being a complete constructor and go back to being solely an engine supplier. Their best years where when they supplied engines to McLaren and Williams. Maybe they simply aren't cut out to be a full F1 constructor?

The other thing that's interesting is, what are Super Aguri going to do for a car next season? Are they in a position to design and build their own car? The prospect of using RA107s next year can't be an enticing one. Even if they get the RA108, how good is that going to be? I doubt they can stick with the then 2 year old RA106. If they do that, they'll be looking at Spykers disappearing in the distance.

[wmcot]

I'd say that even in 1999 BAR was more impressive

And it had a better paint job, zippers and all!