The Super Aguri F1 Team, founded by former F1 driver Aguri Suzuki, was on the grid from 2006 to 2008. Despite its brief stint and boasting an underdog status, the team only scored four points.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Takuma Sato: The most successful driver for the team, scoring all of the team’s championship points during the 2007 season, including an impressive 6th place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Yuji Ide: Started the 2006 season with Super Aguri but had his Super Licence revoked by the FIA after four races due to performance concerns.
Franck Montagny: Replaced Yuji Ide during the 2006 season. Montagny competed in several races but did not score any points for the team.
Sakon Yamamoto: Took over from Franck Montagny partway through the 2006 season and continued with the team into 2007. Yamamoto did not score any points during his tenure.
Anthony Davidson: Joined Super Aguri for the 2007 season alongside Takuma Sato. Davidson showed competitive performances but did not manage to score points.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and with its operational base at the Leafield Technical Centre in Oxfordshire, England (previously home to the Arrows F1 team), the team was often seen as a second team to the official Honda racing team.
At the end of 2005, Honda acquired British American Racing and kept Jenson Button as their lead driver, replacing Takuma Sato with Rubens Barrichello. Despite scoring only one point in his second full season, Sato’s popularity in Japan led to significant public support for him to remain in Formula One. This public backing played a crucial role in establishing the Super Aguri F1 team, with Honda providing engine support as the team’s official partner.
The initial discussions to form Super Aguri began in February 2005, but plans didn’t begin to materialise until September. The team announced its intention to join the championship by November 1, before the 15 November deadline. However, Super Aguri’s entry faced hurdles as they reportedly missed the deadline to submit the required $48 million entry bond, leading to their initial application being unapproved by the FIA.
Undeterred, Super Aguri reapplied for the 2006 season and proceeded with preparations for their debut. A critical step was gaining unanimous approval from the existing ten teams, a requirement complicated by concerns from the Midland team regarding potential impacts on TV revenue distribution. Ultimately, Super Aguri secured the necessary unanimous consent, and the FIA confirmed their entry into the championship on January 26, 2006, allowing the team to proceed with their Formula 1 venture.
Before its grid debut, the team faced a race against time to prepare for the 2006 season. With a limited timeframe, they adapted four Arrows A23 monocoques to meet 2006 regulations and accommodate Honda’s engines. The early days were challenging, with Sato’s teammate, Yuji Ide, losing his FIA Super Licence due to performance concerns. This led to his replacement, first by Franck Montagny and then by Sakon Yamamoto.
Despite the initial struggles, Super Aguri’s 2006 campaign showed promise, especially towards the end of the season when Sato managed a 10th-place finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix, a significant achievement for the fledgling team. The 2007 season saw further improvement, with Sato and new teammate Anthony Davidson often competing in the midfield and Sato scoring points in two races, including a remarkable 6th-place finish in Canada. These performances were particularly impressive considering the team’s limited resources and the fact that their SA07 car faced controversy over its similarity to the previous year’s Honda chassis.
Super Aguri F1 Legacy
Super Aguri’s journey in F1 was cut short in 2008 due to financial difficulties, with the team withdrawing after the Spanish Grand Prix, just four races into the season. During its stint in Formula 1, the team achieved four championship points, all thanks to the efforts of Takuma Sato in the 2007 season.
Super Aguri F1 Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 39 |
| Constructors’ Championships | 0 |
| Drivers’ Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Points | 4 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 2008 Spanish Grand Prix |
Super Aguri F1 Constructors’ Championship Results
| Year | Name | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Super Aguri F1 | SA05 SA06 | Takuma Sato Yuji Ide Franck Montagny Sakon Yamamoto | 0 | 11th |
| 2007 | Super Aguri F1 | SA07 | Takuma Sato Anthony Davidson | 4 | 9th |
| 2008 | Super Aguri F1 | SA08 | Takuma Sato Anthony Davidson | 0 | 11th |