Let's get this straight: we are fans of the Honda F1 team. As cynical as everyone else makes the friends-of-the-earth thing out to be, Honda has put its paint where its money is by excluding sponsors logos from the car. Honda's problem, though, hasn't been its sentiment -- it's been the fact that the Honda team has only won one F1 race, a wet and wild affair in Hungary in 2006.

The team's biggest move in the off-season was to put former Ferrari strategy master Ross Brawn team principal (shown above). In an additional bid to show people they're serious, keep folks at the team, and get everyone on board to win, they're offering everyone on staff -- all the way down to the Brackley factory cleaners -- a bonus of $2,000 for a win. Each win would cost the company more than $1.5 million, a price we're sure they'd be happy to pay for constructor's points, publicity, and the collective sigh of relief that would come with it. The question is, with a 2008 car that is already being described as slow, while Ferrari is breaking the pole lap records at Bahrain... when is an incentive not really an incentive?

[Source: Daily F1]

 

I'm sure everyone on the team would like to have more than ONE race win to their credit. Offering the bonus makes it sound like "we don't think you are trying hard enough now so we are bribing you to try harder with more money"... ? Maybe I'm just cynical but I would feel a bit insulted by that.

People can't be bought with just money (unless it's a helluva lot more than that), they need to have pride in their work and be passionate about getting the success of winning for itself and what it means to them, the team and the company.

They need to hire more die hard enthusiasts I'm available, call me Ross

 

Money talks to different people in different ways. If someone through an offer out like that I know for myself I would be motivated to push a bit harder, and I would be very motivated to get the people around me to also push harder. I don't see any insult in it at all, but that's just me.

Now, as far as the no advertising, to me that is just flat out f'ing stupid. F1 costs big bucks, and if you are a team like Honda, I think it is clear to everybody, they need to step up, and I honestly believe stepping up equals to paying up, better people, better facilities, better tool, better everything, and that better stuff does not come free. I live and work in the advertising field, it's my industry, and I know for a fact, Honda is loosing out on an opportunity to bring in more money to the team, and I flat out don't get whay they don't think that would be a good idea.

 

If you had the chance to work for and help the Ferrari F1 team be better would a little thing like $2,000 make THAT big of a difference in how hard you worked?

I assume these guys get paid a pretty decent salary and $2k would be a very small percentage of annual salary.

I do agree on the sponsorship money... if it's an image thing then they should look a harder into finding a sponsor or sponsors who will match with their environmental image/goals etc. There are a number of big companies who fit that profile out there who would be willing to put some money into that type of advertising.

 

To me, yes.

 

And one of those green companies already advertise on F1...

 

I'd sweep the shop floor and sleep in the truck to work on the Honda F1 team And plot every day how to bring down the evil red empire

 

Exactly, it would require working 365-days per year to make that attempt, no weekends off, no car drives, no track events, nothing, oh, and you had better plan working some 20 hours a day too...

 

Maybe that's how McLaren encouraged its employees to cheat. WE'LL PAY YOU MORE.