And so it is, Super Aguri’s namesake and partial owner Aguri Suzuki has unsheathed his Katana and committed Seppuku on F1’s first all-Japanese team in the Western-dominated sport.
“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 said.
“It had been my dream to become an F1 team owner,” Suzuki said, “but I have to put a close to the work.”
“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.”
The Japanese outfit’s place on the F1 grid has been in doubt ever since rescue talks with Magma Group collapsed in the build-up to the Spanish GP.
The cash-strapped team only raced due to last-minute help from Honda (reportedly in the neighborhood of a quarter million dollars) who provided the team with engines and technical support.
Tags: Aguri Suzuki, Anthony Davidson, Formula One, Honda, Super Aguri F1, Takuma Sato
F1Wolf wrote,
well, their future was in doubt for the whole winter … sad to see them go, I will miss Sato, but this was probably inevitable … Sayonara Supa Aguri
Link | May 6th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Rage-in-Chief wrote,
Sayonara indeed.
Although I tend to believe Takuma will be missed by his adoring public in Japan where he rivaled Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and the legendary Sadaharu Oh in status (not to mention those sexy little things in Morning Musume) as opposed to a few F1 drivers that have had “run-ins” with him in the past.
Link | May 6th, 2008 at 12:00 pm