Formula 1 blog - Linksheaven

Sayonara Super Aguri

May 9th, 2008

On Tuesday May 6th, the news broke that Super Aguri had officially pulled out of Formula One. After ignominiously being denied entry into the paddock at the Istanbul F1 track, Honda (through the dog-with-a-bone that is Nick Fry) confirmed that no rescue package would be given the go-ahead to rescue the financially-stricken B-team and that Anthony Davidson and Takuma Sato would have to watch from the stands.

Super Aguri participated in 39 Grand Prix over their 3 years in Formula One. The dream of Japanese former Formula One driver Aguri Suzuki to have an all-Japanese Formula One team, and to give Takuma Sato a drive after being ousted by Honda the previous season, they debuted in 2006 with Yuji Ide partnering Sato. No WDC points would be forthcoming that season. Ide only lasted 4 races and was replaced by Frenchman Franck Montagny. The Frenchman would not fair much better lasting 7 races before himself being replaced by Japanese Sakon Yamamoto for the final 7 races.

2007 was definitely the high point in Super Aguri’s history where stability in the driver line-up in the shape of Takuma Sato and Engrishman Anthony Davidson would get the team a not-to-be-sniffed-at 4 WDC points and some much needed respectability. Those points all went to Sato, 1 in Spain (race #4) and the other 3 coming 2 races later for a 6th placed finish in Montreal with Alonso and Ralf Schumacher following behind him. Aguri regularly put the works team to shame in 2007 and Sato in particular put the car in places most thought it shouldn’t be. It should have been the springboard to midgrid security.

Sadly for Aguri, the promise of customer chassis’ and proper B-team status never materialised and their future, unless they could become their own sustainable financial entity, was always bleak. Teams like Prodrive never even got off the ground as a result of this ruling and Aguri treaded water for as long as they could.

2008 saw a return to the back of the grid for Super Aguri and each race greeted with a ‘will they/wont they turn up’ cliffhanger. They finally came a cropper in Turkey and it’s the drivers I feel most sorry for. The ever-present Takuma Sato and the unassuming nice guy Anthony Davidson will sit and hope that they have a future in F1 even if the team doesn’t.

Entry Filed under: Formula 1