Mike Conway and Honda – Is he betting on wrong horse ?
Posted on May 30, 2008 by F1Wolf
Mike Conway did not do himself any harm by winning his first GP2 in Monaco last weekend. The tabloid talk about Conway and F1 has already begun. Does he have realistic chance to race in Formula 1 anytime soon ?
Conway’s current F1 connection is with Honda. He is part of the Honda Young Driver programme, he tested Honda F1 car last year and he does not seem to be unhappy there:
“Honda is a good place to be. They are starting to get results and next year they will be even stronger.”
But can Honda be his ticket to F1 racing ? Anthony Davidson has been part of Honda programme for quite some time. All he got out of it was 1 year and 4 races with Honda funded Super Aguri team (and 1 lap in Sepang standing in for sick Takuma Sato). What will happen with Rubens Barrichello’s seat next year remains to be seen, but it looks very likely that Jenson Button will stay with Honda. Even if there is vacancy next to Button, would Honda fill it up with another British driver ? (The last time I remember 2 drivers from same country in one team were Albers and Doornbos with Minardi, but both of them as paid drivers.) If Button signs new contract with Honda it will probably be for few years so the chances for another British driver to get a race drive with Honda anytime soon are not that good it seems. And unlike Toyota, Honda does not supply customer engines to anybody anymore … He may probably have to look elsewhere. But he is not alone among the current GP drivers with an eye on F1 and as we all know, there are not too many seats in F1 to go round …
Photo: Mike Conway/Sutton
Discussion: 7 Comments
7 Responses to “Mike Conway and Honda – Is he betting on wrong horse ?”
Trackbacks
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links for 2008-05-30 » vee8 - a Formula 1 blog - 31st May, 08 01:05am
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2009 Formula 1 Drivers Rumours - Fifth Edition | F1 Wolf - 9th Jul, 08 10:07am
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zblkhwk
- 31st May, 08 10:05am
There are very few seats in F1, and the days of Minardi and Jordan (and even Sauber a while ago) growing and selling talent are gone.
If Conway is that one in a million talent, then he will get the ride. If he is just another top level driver, then he doesn’t. Honda will need a new driver in the next two years as Barichello is at the end of his career (and Button is one of the older drivers as well).
My big question is where does Sato go (I would love to see him take seat two at Renault, but that would push Alonzo and he doesn’t seem to take competition well, does he).
F1Wolf
(author comment)
- 31st May, 08 07:05pm
I was just preparing the post on the pay drivers when you posted this comment
zblkhwk
- 31st May, 08 08:05pm
good timing!
Komodo Dragon
- 1st Jun, 08 01:06am
i don’t know, I mean, this question poses some different thoughts on the subject matter. Personally, I don’t necessarily think he is betting on the wrong horse.
zblkhwk
- 3rd Jun, 08 09:06am
With Baricello on his last races, and Button certainly no longer a youngster, Honda will have seats open soon. Even if Davidson takes the next seat, there is always a test driver position, and that commonly leads to a race seat.