Turkey bans Super Aguri

[Teutone]

Turkey bans Super Aguri
Eurosport - Mon, 05 May 15:09:00 2008
Formula One strugglers Super Aguri have been denied access to the Turkish Grand Prix circuit pending talks between founder Aguri Suzuki and backers Honda over the Japanese team's future.

More StoriesSato in Honda plea
A team source confirmed to Reuters that the trucks and motorhome (pictured here) had been prevented from entering the Istanbul Park circuit ahead of this weekend's race.

"We will have to wait for a decision tomorrow," the source added, refusing to comment on a report that Honda F1 chief executive Nick Fry had told Formula One management that the team would not be racing in Turkey, the fifth race of the season.

Fry was not immediately available.

Super Aguri are fighting for their survival after the collapse of a takeover deal last month by the Dubai-backed Magma Group and Suzuki is hoping to see the Honda board in Tokyo.

If that fails, Formula One will be left with 10 teams for the first time since 2005.

Sources have said Super Aguri, founded at short notice to secure popular Japanese racer Takuma Sato a place on the grid when he was dropped by Honda at the end of 2005, owe Honda around $100 million for engines and technical support.

The team had announced an 11th hour deal "for a substantial shareholding" with Germany's Weigl Group, although Fry was sceptical the proposal would be acceptable to the Honda board.

"It would appear unlikely that a company the size of Weigl is able to support a competitive Formula One team, unless of course there are other partners that we have not been made aware of," he said earlier.

Honda F1 are Honda's main focus and the Japanese carmaker, who helped Super Aguri get through the previous Spanish Grand Prix, has made clear it does not want to pay for two teams.

Super Aguri's cars, effectively last year's Honda, were returned to Honda F1's Brackley factory after the last race in Barcelona on April 28.

The cars were still there on Friday although the trucks carrying spares and other equipment travelled direct from Barcelona to Istanbul. Drivers Sato and Britain's Anthony Davidson have said they are preparing as normal.

Suzuki met members of the Honda board in Tokyo last Wednesday in a last-ditch attempt to keep the cash-strapped team afloat and is due to have a second meeting after coming up with the Weigl bid.

"Such a partnership as the one proposed...will allow us to race for the foreseeable future and I am hopeful that all parties will find the group's offer a realistic package," he said last week.

Reuters

[Teutone]

Aguri in disbelief over team shutout at Turkey F1 GP
Mon 05 May, 03:12 PM


TOKYO (AFP) - The head of Japan's Formula One stable Super Aguri said his team were denied access to the paddock for the Turkish Grand Prix this weekend amid ongoing financial troubles, a report said Monday.

The team's trucks and motorhome were not allowed to enter the track ahead of the next F1 round at Istanbul Park on Sunday, while other teams began setting up their bases with equipment there.

"I cannot believe it but it is true that they could not enter the circuit," Aguri Suzuki was quoted by the daily Tokyo Chunichi Sports as saying.

"I don't know at all what has happened. I don't understand the reason why the team, which normally raced at the Spanish Grand Prix (in the last round) cannot be admitted," the former Japanese F1 racer added.

On Friday, the cash-strapped team announced they were about to meet the board of their backers Honda to discuss a rescue package offered by the German automotive firm Weigl Group ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix.

Super Aguri, who have been struggling since their debut in 2006, suffered a major blow three weeks ago when Britain's Magma Group backed out of plans to acquire them, throwing their future into doubt.

The daily said Nick Fry, chief executive officer of Honda's wholly-owned F1 team Honda Racing, had informed Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone that Super Aguri would not be racing in Turkey - resulting in the denial of track access.

Honda, who supply engines and other technical support to Super Aguri, reportedly provided an emergency financial injection to help them through the Spanish GP on April 27.

According to autosport.com, Fry does not want Super Aguri to continue being a drain on the resources of the Honda Racing F1 team.

On Friday, Super Suzuki said in a statement that they were in "final" talks with Weigl Group on an unspecified "substantial shareholding" of the team, which could "secure its racing future."

Suzuki told the Tokyo daily they had spent precious time on extensive two-month long talks with Magma that led nowhere.

"There would have been no problem if we had been in talks with Weigl since February," he said. "We won't give up until the end. We will give 100 percent to what we can do."

In their debut year, the team, featuring former Honda driver and Japanese F1 icon Takuma Sato, scored no points. In 2007, Super Aguri won four points to finish second-last.

They have not scored any points after four races this season, with drivers Sato and Briton Anthony Davidson both failing to finish in the opening race in Australia.

Their best result was Sato's 13th place in Barcelona, where Davidson retired.

[Teutone]

Sato in Honda plea
Eurosport - Mon, 05 May 14:52:00 2008
Takuma Sato has issued a plea to Honda to continue to support the Super Aguri F1 team and not let the squad fold.

More StoriesTurkey bans Super Aguri
The Leafield-based operation despatched its transporters to Istanbul at the end of last week, but since arriving at the track they have been barred from entering to set-up for this coming weekend's Turkish Grand Prix, the fifth round in the 2008 FIA F1 World Championship.

Super Aguri's financial plight is well known but the current crisis emulates from the aborted take-over by the Magma Group and rumours that Honda boss Nick Fry has told F1 tsar Bernie Ecclestone that the team won't be competing at the Istanbul Speed Park.

"I was simply very surprised when I got the news from my manager [that the trucks weren't allowed to enter the paddock]," said Taku. "I have no idea why this has happened as I understood that no decision has been made by Honda yet and that a decision will be made in the next few days about whether we will be able to race or not.

"I heard that FOM was told that we are not racing and so they wont let the trucks in but I don't understand why they have been told this when no decision has been made yet.

"We need Honda support more then ever now and I am just hoping that they will be able to find a satisfactory solution. Honda are famous for their Racing Spirit and I am sure this will not desert them now

"Honda has always been central to the whole Super Aguri team. We have always worked so closely together and I understand that they are in a difficult position right now due to DIC letting everyone down at the last minute, but I hope they will be able to continue the fighting spirit and give the team some more time to get the new investment in place.

"We have showed over the past two years how efficient we can be as a very little team and given the chance and support I believe we can be very competitive."

Asked about the Weigl deal, which Fry apparently believes won't be enough to ensure Super Aguri's continued participation, Taku added that company seems very keen to help.

"I met them at the Spanish GP and they have the great passion to get the team over the current difficulties. They do not seem to be scared by the challenge and in that way I would say that they fit our philosophy well and it would be a great partner for the team.

"It is a great compliment to the team that so soon after Magma failed, another investor has come in with a survival plan for the team. It just shows the team has a great reputation."

As for what happens now and reports Super Aguri may not survive the current problems, Taku is trying not to think about it too much.

"I need to keep my focus on racing. It is difficult enough to concentrate on the main job at the moment," he concluded.

Crash.net / Eurosport

[Jakarta Expat]

Formula One Super Aguri calls it quits

50 minutes ago

TOKYO (AFP) — Japanese team Super Aguri are pulling out of Formula One racing after prolonged financial difficulties, founder Aguri Suzuki said Tuesday.

"I have been very happy that I was able to achieve a miracle and become a team owner, but I have to make the difficult decision to withdraw," Suzuki told a news conference.

Super Aguri was the first all-Japanese team in the Western-dominated sport, achieving a long-held ambition of the 47-year-old Suzuki.

But the team struggled after their 2006 debut and suffered a major blow last month when Britain's Magma Group backed out of plans to acquire them.

"It had been my dream to become an F1 team owner," Suzuki said, "but I have to put a close to the work."

Honda Motor Co., which supplies engines and other technical support to Super Aguri, reportedly provided an emergency financial injection to help them through the Spanish Grand Prix on April 27.

But Super Aguri were shut out of the latest F1 round at Istanbul amid reports that Honda does not want the team to be a drain on its own racing unit.

In their debut year the team, featuring former Honda driver and Japanese F1 icon Takuma Sato, scored no points. In 2007, Super Aguri won four points to finish second-last.

They have not scored any points after four races this season, with drivers Sato and Anthony Davidson of Britain both failing to finish in the opening race in Australia.

Their best result was Sato's 13th place in Barcelona, where Davidson retired.

Super Aguri initially had all-Japanese constructors, engine and tyre suppliers, as well as Japanese drivers in Sato and Yuki Ide.

But Ide was stripped of his F1 licence after four races -- partly because he was too slow -- and was replaced by Frenchman Franck Montagny.

Suzuki was the first Asian on a F1 podium when he finished third at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix.

AFP: Super Aguri pulls out from Formula One

[Astin]

This is sad news. Sato is a much liked driver who has punched above his weight in that car. I hope he finds a new drive soon. Perhaps Renault should consider him and let Piquet junior sit out a few races. That could be a good solution for both drivers as Piquet is clearly not yet up to the standard for a top 5 team.

[Teutone]

I agree. Piquet doesn't seem to be qualified to be in F-1 (yet).