Written by:
SPEED Staff / GMM
12/29/2008
Mexico City, Mexico
Telmex has denied the acquisition of the Honda Racing F1 team. (LAT Photo)
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Reports that the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has or will buy Honda's formula one team have been denied.
The Telmex racing team, owned by Slim's telecommunications firm and involved in F3 and other series, said in a statement that Slim "has not bought, nor is negotiating to buy" the Brackley based outfit.
Slim's Telmex said the reports, first carried by the Italian newspaper La Stampa, are thus "baseless and completely false".
Meanwhile, in the Mexico City-based newspaper Reforma, Slim's son Carlos Slim Domit also denied the reports linking Telmex with buying Honda.
Honda team boss Ross Brawn has added his denial to reports that Honda Racing F1 is being bought by the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.
He admitted that while "a number of interested parties" are in talks with the Brackley based team, any suggestion that Slim or his company Telmex are close to finalising a deal is not true.
"We would love it if it were true," Brawn told the Daily Telegraph, "but it's pure speculation from various members of the media. It's just been one of those rumours which has developed a life of its own."
Brawn is, however, remaining positive, insisting that "everything is in place" for a buyer to pick up and take the team to the 2009 season opener in Australia.
"We haven't really lost anything yet as it has still only been a few weeks. Everything is in place although we have had to turn down various programmes," he said.
"We have enough funding to get us through to Melbourne and we still have a competitive package."
Brawn said there has been so much interest from potential buyers that one of the tasks now is to sort "the serious from the not so serious".
"We're all hopeful that something will happen and we're anxious to turn up the wick again in the new year."
