franklin-honda talk partnerships and engines

With the recent news that Honda have expanded their supply of engines to two teams, team principal Jamie Franklin had his own news to share with the world, as well as discussing the implications of not being the sole supplier of the Japanese company.

"Honda came to us, after Ingram GP had spoken to them about the possibility of supplying them with engines, which surprised me as although we have a close working relationship, I never thought that I had a say in whether we would continue to be that sole supplier. So Will, myself and the guys at Honda all sat down and had some good discussions, and we came to the decision that it would be beneficial to all parties involved. The engines we will get will be exactly the same, however, with our close working relationship, we will have a little more input as to what is the best path for the future,"


After speaking to Franklin, we were able to get a few words from a Honda spokes-person.


"Honda are pleased to be working with another Formula One team, but until further notice, we will not be wanting to supply any more teams. If there are other teams who may want our services, then of course we will discuss it with them, and consult Franklin F1, whom shall remain our main partners,"

This wasn't the only news, which involved both teams, as Jamie went on to announce:

"But that's not all. I am also pleased to reveal that after the engine discussions, Will and I got talking again and after some negotiating have agreed on a technical partnership. Obviously Ingram GP have somewhat struggled this season, and although it won't guarantee them success, it should at least bolster their chances for the future. I'm not saying that we hold the formula to success, but the usage of some of our tools may increase their chances,"


We can see how this partnership would benefit the likes of Ingram GP, though it is hard to see how Franklin F1 have any use for such a deal, unless of course there has been the exchange of money. However, having said that, there were rumours of Franklin F1 seeking the services of current Ingram driver, Jonas Phipps, so could this partnership have deeper roots than we think?