Honda is "frustrated" to have abandoned formula one on the eve of almost guaranteed success, new team owner Ross Brawn insists.
The Briton is now leading the Brackley based camp following a management buyout, having bought it from the struggling Honda Motor Co. for a symbolic 1 British pound.
"I'm sure they were very frustrated at having to withdraw," Brawn, 54, told the Bloomberg news agency.
"I've had many notes from senior people at Honda, so they are frustrated because obviously the team has moved forward, but it was a necessity for their business."
The team netted embarrassing results in the last two years, but during 2008 invested millions of Honda dollars setting the groundwork for the current BGP001 chassis.
With Mercedes power, the 'Brawn GP' car collected both poles and both wins from the opening two grands prix of 2009.
F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is surprised the Japanese manufacturer did not realise it had overseen the design of a winning car before pulling out.
"They'd spent an awful lot of money, hadn't gotten anywhere and probably didn't realise the potential," he said last weekend in Malaysia.
"I'm sure if they had, they wouldn't have gone because all this would have been Honda otherwise."
A Honda spokeswoman declined to comment.
Bristol411S3
April 8, 2009 2:32 PM
