Super Aguri Forced To Quit F1

[Jack_Bauer]

The news that F1 fans had been hoping would never come has finally broken: the Super Aguri F1 team have withdrawn from the 2008 World Championship.

They have effectively been running on life support supplied by Honda for the last few months, but finally Honda have pulled the plug. The writing was on the wall when the potential takeover deal by the DIC funded Magma Group fell through at the last minute. There was a glimmer of hope last week when the German Wiegl Group expressed an interest in funding the team, but that turned out to be yet another false dawn for Aguri Suzuki. The team, who were in debt to Honda to the tune of $100million, were refused entry to the paddock at the Istanbul Autodrome, and they have now decided to call it a day.

It is extremely disappointing news for the F1 world. Firstly, they are one of the most like-able teams around. They have relished their status as plucky underdogs since they entered F1 in the 2006 season, and have thrilled audiences with some great shock performances. For the neutral fan they have been one of the most exciting teams to follow, and they have been most F1 fans' "second team". No fans ever had a bad word to say about the team.

Sadly it wasn't always the case with the rest of the F1 teams as the thorny issue of customer cars (they effectively drove the previous year's Honda) has plagued them for some time. Suzuki himself has stated that the uncertainty over the future of driving customer cars has been one of the reasons they have struggle to find long-term financial backers.

Some have been quick to blame Honda for refusing to offer help to Super Aguri, but that really isn't fair. Honda have done more than what was reasonably to have been expected of them over the last couple of years. They have bailed them out consistently, and have continued to provide them with engines, chassis and technical support despite lack of payment from SA. At the end of the day Honda are running a business, and they can't continue pouring money and resources into a team that is destined not to survive. Sad but true.

So F1 will continue without one of its most popular teams, and without two talented and very well liked drivers in Sato and Davidson. A sad day all round for the sport.

In order to realise my dream to become an owner of a Formula One Team, I applied for a grid position in the FIA Formula One World Championship in November 2005. Since then, I have participated in the championship for two years and four months as the Super Aguri F1 team, but regretfully I must inform you that the team will be ceasing its racing activities as of today.

The team has competed against the many car manufacturer backed teams and has succeeded in obtaining the first points after only the 22nd race, finishing in ninth place overall in the 2007 Constructors’ Championship.

However, the breach of contract by the promised partner SS United Group Company Limited resulted in the loss of financial backing and immediately put the team into financial difficulties. Also, the change in direction of the environment surrounding the team, in terms of the use of customer chassis, has affected our ability to find partners.

Meanwhile, with the help of Honda, we have somehow managed to keep the team going, but we find it difficult to establish a way to continue the activities in the future within the environment surrounding F1 and as a result, I have concluded to withdraw from the Championship.

I would like to express my deepest thanks to Honda, Bridgestone, the sponsors, all the people who have given us advise during various situations over the past couple of years all the Team Staff who have kept their motivations high and always done their best, Anthony Davidson who has always pushed to the limit despite the very difficult conditions, Takuma Sato who has been with us from the very start and has always fought hard and led the team and lastly our fans from all over the world who have loyally supported the Super Aguri F1 team.

[ScionDriver]

That's too bad. I hope that maybe they can find some backers and/or get the customer car issues settled so maybe they can get back in in 2009. They certainly were a fun team: when they had a stuffed animal of a woodchuck after Davidson hit one on the track in Canada last year, how the Speed Channel commentary crew called them Super Best Friends and my favorite memory of the team: Sato passing pretty boy Alonso at Canada.

[Rockefella]

Sucks for the SA group. Like you said Jack, they were pretty much my and a lot of other people's #2 team. Best of luck to them if they make efforts to rejoin in 2009 and beyond.

[ringle]

I think most of the other drivers will be happy as they will no longer have to deal with that "pylon" Sato!

[Coventrysucks]

Sadly it wasn't always the case with the rest of the F1 teams as the thorny issue of customer cars (they effectively drove the previous year's Honda) has plagued them for some time. Suzuki himself has stated that the uncertainty over the future of driving customer cars has been one of the reasons they have struggle to find long-term financial backers.

Yet another success for the FOM/FIA Bernie and "Spanky" Max show.

Something that could have and should have been sorted last year - before they agreed that Prodrive would be racing, but no, as usual, the racing comes second to the politics.

[Zytek_Fan]

Apparently Nick Fry is the one to point the finger at.

[Wouter Melissen]

Yet another success for the FOM/FIA Bernie and "Spanky" Max show.

Something that could have and should have been sorted last year - before they agreed that Prodrive would be racing, but no, as usual, the racing comes second to the politics.

I think certain teams were against the customer chassis and not your buddies Bernie and Max.

[Zytek_Fan]

I think certain teams were against the customer chassis and not your buddies Bernie and Max.

Wasn't it only Williams who objected, since all the small teams wanted customer chassis? (Spyker apparently had plans for a customer Ferrari, SA with a Honda of course, STR with a Red Bull, and eventually Prodrive with a McLaren).

If I recall correctly, for the customer chassis rule to pass, all teams had to agree upon it...



Whelp, now there's room for 2 more teams...
Where's Eddie Jordan and Paul Stoddart?

[Coventrysucks]

I think certain teams were against the customer chassis and not your buddies Bernie and Max.

Yes, Williams (using customer engines) objected, but it is up to the FOM/FIA to ensure that any ambiguity in the rules is cleared up and ensure that if "customer cars are the future of F1" (Mosley) they are not effectively outlawed no sooner than those words were spoken - leaving F1 short of three teams, putting one company out of business, and making it yet harder for any new teams to enter the sport.

This is quite important - F1 racing is a bit difficult without the teams.

[Wouter Melissen]

Yes, Williams (using customer engines) objected, but it is up to the FOM/FIA to ensure that any ambiguity in the rules is cleared up and ensure that if "customer cars are the future of F1" (Mosley) they are not effectively outlawed no sooner than those words were spoken - leaving F1 short of three teams, putting one company out of business, and making it yet harder for any new teams to enter the sport.

This is quite important - F1 racing is a bit difficult without the teams.

Again, the rules are made by the teams, not by the FIA.

[fpv_gtho]

If I recall correctly, for the customer chassis rule to pass, all teams had to agree upon it...

Theres 2 parts to it; the sporting regulations allowing it and the commercial agreements that split up the TV money. Max and the FIA were fully prepared to have customer cars legal on their side of everying for 2008, but the new Concorde Agreement for 2008 got delayed to next year so the current one was carried over, which only provided TV money to the top 10 constructors.

Prodrive had always been open about their plans to use a customer package and so that killed their chances in 2008. For teams like Toro Rosso and Super Aguri though, they got in early because the term constructor was only defined by owning the interlectual property rights to the design, not any actual proof of building the chassis. The FIA openly allows teams to run components made by organisations not associated with F1, so Super Aguri were free to run an Arrows chassis in 2006 whilst Toro Rosso were also free to run a Jaguar chassis as neither of them were involved with F1 (anymore). Nobody had an issue at that point, most people initially thought Toro Rosso would have an advantage by running the restricted V10 instead of the V8 but it didnt turn into much.

For 2007 they both turned it up a notch though, which is what turned everyones nose up and pretty much killed legitimate customer cars being run post 2008. On paper, Red Bull seperated both their teams from the organisation doing all the development and created Red Bull Technologies. RBT sold the IPR to both RBR and STR, both teams could prove that to the FIA and so were both allowed to compete. In reality, RBR and RBT are right next to each other in the same complex whilst STR remain in Italy. Super Aguri were apparently close to doing the same with Honda, but chose a less contentious route and instead gained the rights to the previous years Honda chassis.

[Daz27]

Whelp, now there's room for 2 more teams...
Where's Eddie Jordan and Paul Stoddart?

I second that motion your honour.