Former Honda driver Jacques Villenueve says Honda’s exit from F1 is a political move. According to our uber-efficient friends at Autosport, JV thinks that the current global economic crisis necessitates the cost reductions and cutting F1 was a perceptual issue that had to be done.
“I don’t think F1 is one of Honda’s biggest expenses, but with the world economic climate as it is you have to be perceived to be making cuts,” Villeneuve, who drove for the Honda team in their BAR guise from 1999-2003, told autosport.com.
“I think it’s more of a political decision.”
“It’s surprising because you don’t expect teams to leave F1, but when you look at their results in recent years they’ve been struggling. From the outside, it makes sense.”
