No More Super Aguri

From Autosport.com
 
Super Aguri have withdrawn from the Formula One world championship with immediate effect, the team announced on Tuesday.

After weeks of speculation about their future following the collapse
of a proposed takeover by the Magma Group, a last-minute rescue package
by German automotive company Weigl Group was not good enough to keep
them racing.

Team principal Aguri Suzuki is understood to have met with the Honda
board in Japan on Tuesday, but the outcome of that meeting was that the
team will no longer be racing.

"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," said Suzuki in a statement issued by
the team. "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 cease their racing activities as of
today."

Suzuki made it clear that the current difficulties for the team were
caused by the non-payment of major sponsor SS United last year, which
put the team on the back foot regarding their financial situation.

"The team competed against the many car manufacturer-backed teams
and have 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
Oil & Gas Company 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."

Super Aguri made their debut in 2006, having been formed with
assistance from Honda in a bid to keep Takuma Sato in F1. They scored
their first world championship points at the 2007 Spanish Grand Prix,
and finished ninth in last year’s constructors’ championship.

The team’s withdrawal leaves F1 with only 10 teams now, with the
grid originally having supposed to have had 12 outfits at the start of
this year before the collapse of Prodrive’s entry.

This is really unfortunate for Mr Aguri and his team, who were doing so well in the past year. Beating their ‘mother’ Honda team on a few occasions really must have made Nick Fry bitter about this.

So
long to the Super Best Friends of the drivers Sato and Davidson – I
wish them all the best in the future of their careers which have
suddenly taken a huge set back.