http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=23418 -------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: "Despite BAR's success in 2004, with JB finishing 3rd in the drivers' championship and the Brackley outfit finishing runner-up in the construtors' championhsip to Ferrari, some of Honda's senior engineers are said to be missing the technical input of the 1997 world champion. Without doubt, 2004 was BAR's best ever season, and depending on whom you listen to, the credit should go to Button, Geoff Willis, David Richards, Honda and all manner of others. However according to one respected source, senior engineers at Honda believe that the reason the Japanese manufacturer made a major step forward in 2004 was due to the input it received from Jacques Villeneuve while he was with the team. Furthermore, it is claimed that despite the sterling work being done by the team's current race and test drivers, they are all chassis men and not giving the sort of engine feedback that Honda is used to. We hear that several Honda engineers "regret" the decision to let Villeneuve go and are highly critical of the way in which the relationship ended. It's understood that Honda knew that this was a long-term programme but despite his best efforts, Button isn't progressing as fast - in terms of engine development - as Villeneuve . And which company recently bought a large of slice of BAR? Now that's something to get you thinking." -------------------------------------------------------------- How many people here have said that JV isn't good at development? Well it seems he helped a lot with all of his engine feedbacks. See...JV has done something good for the team. Like they said, Button, Sato and Davidson are all chassis men.
All I am going to say is that respected source must know different senior engineers at Honda than I do...
Let's just recap what we can observe from the outside: - BAR has their best ever season and are competitive from the start. In F1 you don't just become this, it is the result of long technological development of which JV was part of. - Honda sacks Richards after BAR's most successful season. He screwed up the JB situation, but there's got to be more to the picture. Obviously Honda wasn't impressed with him. He was the main reason JV left. => ergo: I'm glad for Sauber. Maybe they got a driver who has more gas left in his tank than we all thought. Let's wait and watch.
