Shocking news today as Honda announces it’s withdrawl from the top tier of motorsports racing, Formula One.

“Honda Motor Co. has come to the conclusion that we will withdraw from all Formula One activities, making 2008 the last season for participation,” said Honda president Takeo Fukui at an emotional press conference.

“This difficult decision has been made in light of the quickly deteriorating operating environment facing the global auto industry… and the sudden contraction of the world economies,” he added.

There has been some renewed talk about bringing Formula One racing back to the United States in a couple of years. During Speed TV’s coverage of the race at Spa last weekend, pit lane reporter Peter Windsor said that this renewed interest is mainly being driven by the manufacturers. Apparently they want access to the lucrative US market.

Windsor asked F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone about the rumors and he confirmed that a number of venues were being talked about. Windsor speculated that Ecclestone’s preferred location was Las Vegas. Bernie does have a thing for desert racing (see Kuwait). 

Living in Florida, I would have to endorse an F1 race in Miami. I would also get behind a race at the historic home of the USGP, Watkins Glen.

This story from crash.net says that Indianapolis is not being considered. Tony George says he’s not been contacted by Formula One Management about hosting the event at IMS again.

It does seem clear from the intensity of the rumors that a United States Grand Prix is coming. 

At 37 years old, Scot David Coulthard is the “grand old man” of formula one racing. But it’s been revealed that he is set to retire at the conclusion of the 2008 season.  This from Coulthard:

My decision to retire was taken earlier in the year, and is based on a desire to stop while I am still competitive and enjoying the immense challenge that grand prix driving represents. I also have the desire to look for new challenges within the sport.

The decision to make this announcement at the British Grand Prix should be an obvious one for all to understand, as I have achieved two of my 13 F1 victories at Silverstone and I am a member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, which hosts this event.

It was also recently announced that Coulthard and his wife are expecting their first child.

It appears that Indy car driver, Danica Patrick will get to test a Formula One car.

Honda CEO Nick Fry has admitted to Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung that a test will indeed take place, and that it is likely to do so at either Barcelona or Jerez in Spain in November, following the end of the 2008 F1 campaign.

“We will put her into our car after the season at the latest and see how quick she is,” the Briton said.

Well, that kind of goes against this quote from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone:

“You know I’ve got one of those wonderful ideas … women should be dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances.”

It isn’t the first time Ecclestone commented on women in racing, telling Autosport racing magazine in Feb. 2000 that women would never excel in Forumla One. He added that if a woman did make it, “she would have to be a woman who was blowing away the boys. … What I would really like to see happen is to find the right girl, perhaps a black girl with super looks, preferably Jewish or Muslim, who speaks Spanish.”

Congratulations to 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon and Monaco Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton. I’m really happy that Champ Car and the Indy Racing League have unified.

The most anticipated win came in Japan when Andretti-Green driver Danica Patrick won her first Indy Car race at the Twin Ring Motegi. Here’s what she had to say:

“I’ve been asked so many times when and if I can win my first race,” she said. “And, finally, no more of those questions.”

It looks like the reunified Indy racing League is off to a great start with wins by Patrick and young phenom Graham Rahal. It’s been a long time coming. Thanks to Yahoo for the quote.