HONDA chief Nick Fry is refusing to offer veteran Rubens Barrichello a guarantee he will be around next year, never mind in a position to chalk up 300 grands prix.

Barrichello revealed his ambition at the weekend when he became the most experienced driver in Formula One history by competing in his 257th race.

Although overhauling Riccardo Patrese's 15-year mark, and with a tear in his eye when the occasion was marked on Saturday evening with a champagne reception, there was little else to commend his Turkish Grand Prix performance.

After qualifying 12th at the Istanbul Park circuit, the Brazilian could only finish 14th to extend his miserable run without scoring a point to 22 races.

Although his current contract with the Brackley-based team is up at the end of the year, the 35-year-old is determined to continue, with the aim of hitting the 300 mark.

That would mean Barrichello racing uninterrupted from now through to the second half of the 2010 season.

But as for a new deal, although Fry concedes "casual conversations" have taken place, nothing serious will unfold until later this year, and then only if Barrichello is proving his worth "Rubens is very aware of the situation, and I don't think he would want it any other way," said Fry.

"When I hired Rubens I made a mistake because I complimented him on his experience, and he said 'I don't want to be experienced, I want to be fast'.

"If he is fast then he will be here next season, and if he's not, then he won't be.

"At the moment, what I can say is, his pace is very similar to (team-mate) Jenson (Button).

"Right now, though, we've not had any serious conversations, and it's not a priority.

"As we get towards the end of the summer and into the autumn, then we will start talking in earnest.

"When it comes down to it, it won't be the subject of prolonged negotiation. Either we will both want to do it, or we won't.

"Once we decide one way or the other, it's then about a three-day process."