Team principal of recently defunct team Super Aguri has said that he is exhausted after weeks of trying to save the team and that he is not interested in returning to Formula One in the near future.
“I m exhausted,†he said. “I definitely need a break. It s a piranha club and I feel that I don t want to stick my fingers back in.
“We simply ran out of time to put together a deal with Weigl. Magma pulled out suddenly, and without any explanation, and since then I have been flying all over the world talking to other companies but was unable to secure a deal.
“Financially it was just impossible to continue in F1 with the enormous budgets needed today. We did reach a basic agreement with Weigl but were always battling against time.”
Honda Statement
Honda have said that Super Aguri s demise was inevitable and that there was no way they were going to survive in the sport without the means to independently support themselves financially.
A statement from Honda reads, “Honda has continued to support the team as much as possible but Aguri Suzuki, Team Principal has come to Honda and expressed his decision to withdraw from Formula One as he is not capable of establishing a foundation for independent operation of the team,” said the Honda statement.
“The Super Aguri F1 Team’s withdrawal is indeed very disappointing for us but we understand that it was inevitable unless the team could find a way to stand alone by itself in the future.
“We would like to express our thankfulness to the Super Aguri F1 Team and all the fans who have supported them for sharing the dreams and fighting together with Honda.
“Honda has been supporting the Super Aguri F1 Team by supplying engines and financial support amongst others since its establishment in 2005. Especially since 2007, we have been deeply involved in discussions together with the team to find sponsors and partners.
“At the beginning of the 2008 season, when the team started negotiations with the strong candidate MAGMA Group, Honda has actively cooperated by proposing many forms of support. Just when we thought the three groups have reached an agreement, we were told that MAGMA and their financial backers had decided not to pursue the deal.”
Weigl Angry
Meanwhile, it appears that Franz Josef Weigl is not happy that Honda did not permit his company to help Super Aguri. “It is over,†he explained to German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. “The politics have triumphed. It is terribly unfortunate.
“Nick Fry did everything he could so that our deal would not succeed.â€
Weigl also revealed that it wasn t the first time he had been in talks with the Super Aguri team, and the first time around Honda had again stuck an oar in and interfered with the talks.
Support from Minardi
Former F1 team owner Giancarlo Minardi has expressed his sympathy for Suzuki. “I myself have lived this situation first hand,†he said. “I can understand how he is feeling at this moment.
“I know Aguri very well and I am sympathetic. Unfortunately, F1 is so competitive that it is not very interested in small teams who have financial problems. It happened in the past to Minardi, but also to others. We were used like servants to make up the numbers and help with the sport s promotion and interest.
“Perhaps the marketing failed, or perhaps the Team Principal was no longer interested in having a stable satellite operation. The current F1 is not interested in the various struggles that occur at the back, and now that the cars are so reliable, the small teams fall by the wayside.â€
