F1: Honda bonus scheme a safe bet for '08?

[Rory Phoulorie]

Friday, 8th February 2008

Brackley team offers cash reward for each win this season.

Reports that HondaF1 top brass are offering incentives to staff in an effort to turn the team into a regular race winner have been greeted with cynicism following recent testing performances.

Human resources director John Marsden told delegates at a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development conference that the team plans to give out bonuses amounting to $2000 to all staff for every win claimed by Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button in 2008, in an attempt to engender team spirit and loyalty.

"Everyone gets a $2000 bonus if we win - from the race staff to the cleaners," he told an audience in London on Wednesday, "I want everyone to feel part of the team. People need to be faced with a thought process about what they would lose if they left you."

Marsden's pledge, however, has been viewed by outsiders as something of a safe bet, given that Honda is coming from a season of mediocrity and has yet to set the world alight with its testing performances with the RA108.

Despite talking up the potential of Honda's new machine - even though the evolution of last year's RA107 has made an indifferent start to pre-season testing - even Button has admitted that the team is unlikely to make a return to the top step this season.

�2007 was a very tough season,� Button told Crash.net at the team launch, "We're hoping for a lot more this year, but it won't be the year that we set the world alight. This year won't be the year that we challenge for the world championship; that's more a long-term thing."

crash.net

[Rory Phoulorie]

This just goes to show that Honda really aren't too smart. When the new car was launched and from the first set of initial tests with it, they realised and said that they don't expect to be on the top step of the podium in 2008.

So who are they really trying to fool with this US$2,000 bonus for every race win?

(Note to self: Drop in resume at Milton Keynes today)

[Plex]

Even the cash bonus is low...Was expecting a better carrot from the honda camp if they won..