From GMM

Team principal Ross Brawn said on Friday that the Honda Formula 1 team will race into the 2009 season with an unchanged driver line-up.

The Japanese squad's current drivers, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, are out of contract at the end of the year.

But with Honda fully focused on building a better car for the sweeping new regulations for 2009, Brawn told F1's official website that Button and Barrichello are good enough to deliver.

"Clearly our priority is to sort the car out, because we believe with the drivers we have, if we produce a good car then they can produce from their side," he said, following speculation that Fernando Alonso might be an option for the Brackley based team.

"So we are not looking at anything major on the driver side. Our main priority is the car," the Briton added.

Asked specifically if Button, 28, and F1's most experienced driver Barrichello, 36, will race next year's Honda, Brawn answered: "Yes."

However, on Friday Barrichello insisted he has not yet signed a contract to remain at the Honda team in 2009. Button also said he wants to stay at Honda but insisted he has no comment to make "yet".