Absent without leave from pre-season testing for much of 2008, there were major worries about the health of Aguri Suzuki’s plucky little outfit. Talks with potential investors either came and went or were denied by the team until finally, a deal was struck with investment group Magma, which appears set to help carry the team into its third year of
F1.
That, in itself, should be a relief for all those who like to see the underdog bite back occasionally and, with an unchanged line-up of
Takuma Sato and
Anthony Davidson set to return behind the wheel, there will be something to cheer for again. Whether either can repeat the Japanese’s performances from Barcelona and Montreal last year, however, remains to be seen, with the 2008 car yet to have turned a wheel in anger and a question mark over development finance still hanging in the air.
The only other team expected on the grid this season could be the biggest enigma of the lot. Having itself survived the meltdown of its previous owner, the rebranded
Force India squad heads into 2008 with perhaps more optimism that predecessors Jordan, Midland and Spyker could manage over the past three seasons.
Now buoyed by the combined interest and investment of Vijay Mallya and Michiel Mol, the team has managed to steer clear of employing pay drivers in favour of blending Adrian Sutil’s raw enthusiasm with the experience of
Giancarlo Fisichella. Initial showing from the VJM01 – a reworked version of last year’s promising B-spec Spyker – have been encouraging, making it hard to predict whether Force India will be battling the
Honda boys or nipping at the heels of
Red Bull and the like.
"To be one of eleven teams participating in itself is a matter of great pride," Mallya insists, "Not everyone can say 'we own an F1 team and we are on that grid'. It takes a lot to be there in the first place. You're effectively competing at the very highest level in the world, for the world championship, and you're one of the chosen eleven.
