Super Aguri F1

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**Super Aguri F1**
Image:SuperAguriLogored.gif
Full name	Super Aguri F1
Base	Leafield, Oxfordshire, UK
Team principal	Image:Flag of Japan (bordered).svg Aguri Suzuki
Technical director	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Preston
Race drivers	22. Image:Flag of Japan (bordered).svg Takuma Sato 23. Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Anthony Davidson
Test drivers	TBA
Chassis	Super Aguri SA07
Engine	Honda RA807E 2.4 V8
Tyres	Bridgestone
Debut	2006 Bahrain Grand Prix
Races competed	18
Constructors' Championships	none
Drivers' Championships	none
Race victories	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
2006 position	11th (0 points)

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Super Aguri F1 is a Formula One team that made its debut in the 2006 season. The team, founded by former F1 driver Aguri Suzuki, is based in Tokyo, Japan but also operates from the former Arrows factory in Leafield, UK. The cars are referred to as Super Aguri Hondas, with the team functioning to some degree as an unofficial Honda 'B'-team. In Japan, public pressure persuaded Honda to help its former driver Takuma Sato to continue to compete in Formula One. This was influential in the creation of Super Aguri's F1 project and the engine supply from Honda.

1 Team Creation
2 The 2006 Season
3 The 2007 Season
4 Complete Formula One results
5 Trivia
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Team Creation

The team faced a daunting challenge merely to be ready for the first race of the season. Initially, it notified the FIA on November 1 (ahead of the governing body's November 15 deadline) of its intention to enter. However, the FIA's official press release of the entry list for 2006 confirmed that it had not approved Super Aguri's entry: this was reported to be due to the team's failure to produce the required $48 million entry bond on time.<ref>FIA entry list for 2006</ref><ref>Grandprix.com article</ref> However, the team re-applied for entry in 2006, and continued to prepare cars for the upcoming season. <ref>BBC News article</ref>

Image:Takuma Sato 2006 Super Aguri side.jpg

Having missed the initial registration, the team needed to convince the existing ten teams to unanimously agree to its entry. It appeared that the former Jordan team, now called Midland F1, was blocking the entry on the grounds of potentially reduced TV revenue, but it was eventually granted the necessary unanimous agreement and the team's entry was confirmed by the FIA on 26 January 2006.<ref>FIA Press Release</ref>

[edit] The 2006 Season

The cars are powered by Honda engines (RA806E 2.4 V8), and use Bridgestone tyres. The Super Aguri Formula 1 team's chassis, SA05, is based on the 2002 Arrows A23, bought from ex-Minardi principal Paul Stoddart who purchased them when the Arrows team went into receivership. The team had announced plans to produce a new in-house chassis later on in the 2006 season, possibly for the European races, but this never came into fruition. Instead, the team updated their older chassis into the SA06 - a change which was visible from the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, onwards.<ref>Formula-1.updatesport.com article</ref>

Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide were the initial race drivers for the team in the 2006 season, with Franck Montagny as the third driver. On May 4, after four races, the team announced that Montagny would be replacing Ide as race driver in the European Grand Prix and subsequent races.

The team made it onto the grid for the start of the season. In its debut race at Bahrain Sato successfully completed the Grand Prix while Ide retired on lap 35 with a mechanical failure and after nearly running over his pit crew. Suzuki deemed this race to be a good test for the team as the car had only done a maximum of 10 laps during pre-season testing. The team's second race (in Malaysia) was little better, with again only Sato finishing the race.

Super Aguri's third race, the 2006 Australian Grand Prix, saw significant improvement. Yuji Ide said, "This is the first time that both Taku and I have finished a race, so I am happy about that." <ref>Formula1.com article</ref>

Image:Franck Montangy Monaco GP 2006.jpg

For the European Grand Prix, Yuji Ide and Franck Montagny swapped roles within the team, at the request of the FIA, who felt Ide needed more experience outside of the Grands Prix.

As of May 10th, 2006 the FIA Permit Office revoked Yuji Ide's Super Licence, thus preventing his return to an F1 seat until at least the 2007 season. Franck Montagny raced until and including the French Grand Prix, and on June 8th 2006 Sakon Yamamoto became Super Aguri's third driver. Montagny and Yamamoto swapped roles for the 2006 German Grand Prix, with Yamamoto taking over Super Aguri's second car.

The German Grand Prix saw the introduction of the SA06, the new chassis of the Super Aguri team. It managed to impress, with decent qualifying positions (managing to outperform the Midland F1 Team), although failing to finish the race.

The team's improving form culminated with an impressive tenth place at the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix from Sato, whilst Yamamoto set the seventh-fastest fastest lap, less than a second behind most of the points-finishers.<ref>Formula1.com data, retrieved 22 October 2006</ref>

[edit] The 2007 Season

Super Aguri's plans for the 2007 season are not yet completely finalised. Earlier reports suggesting that the team would be using the works Honda chassis of 2006 seem to have be quashed by Formula One legislation.

Super Aguri announced on the 15th of November that Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson (previously Honda third and test driver) will be driving for the team in 2007.<ref>NewsOnF1.com article, retrieved November 15, 2006.</ref>

[edit] Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Points	WCC
2006	Super Aguri SA05 Super Aguri SA06	Honda V8	B		BAH	MAL	AUS	SAN	EUR	ESP	MON	GBR	CAN	USA	FRA	GER	HUN	TUR	ITA	CHN	JPN	BRA	0	-
				Takuma Sato	18	14	12	Ret	Ret	17	Ret	17	15	Ret	Ret	Ret	13	NC	16	DSQ	15	10
				Yuji Ide	Ret	Ret	13	Ret
				Franck Montagny					Ret	Ret	16	18	Ret	Ret	16
				Sakon Yamamoto												Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	16	17	16

[edit] Trivia

SPEEDtv Commentator Steve Matchett commonly refers to Super Aguri F1 as 'Super Best Friends'.

There is already a well established fan club for Takuma Sato, and some of that base spawned the Unofficial Fan Club for SAF1 (and see external links below) which is growing every week. Fans from around the world are joining in to support the fledgling team.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Constructors and drivers competing in the 2007 Formula One championship
McLaren	Renault	Ferrari	Honda	BMW	Toyota
1 Alonso 2 Hamilton	3 Fisichella 4 Kovalainen	5 Massa 6 Räikkönen	7 Button 8 Barrichello	9 Heidfeld 10 Kubica	11 R.Schumacher 12 Trulli
Red Bull	Williams	Toro Rosso	Spyker	Super Aguri
14 Coulthard 15 Webber	16 Rosberg 17 Wurz	18 Liuzzi 19 Speed	20 Albers 21 ?	22 Sato 23 Davidson