On Tuesday May 6th, Aguri Suzuki finally had enough – he finally gave up the ghost of a Formula 1 team. After two-and-a-half being propped up by Honda, Super Aguri have decided to opt out of the formula. Following a main sponsor defaulting late in 2007, this year was always going to be a struggle and when they announced that they couldn’t test during winter, there was a feeling that their demise could be soon. During the early part of this year, the team were in talks with Magma Group for a possible buy out, but when Magma suddenly pulled out in April the writing was on the wall. There was talk of a rushed deal being put in place by a German corporation, but in their heart of hearts, Honda knew they would end up bailing them out too.
While many talk about how sad it is that a team with plenty of heart has disappeared, little has been said of its two main drivers. Takuma Sato will probably get a test-role and possibly a race seat with Honda next year, but Anthony Davidson will most like find himself out in the cold.
The Super Aguri team leave Formula 1 owing Honda a reported $50 million following low price engines, free technical help and the occasional (cash orientated) helping hand over a 34 month period. And then were just ten teams left…
