Despite the latest setback to hit the troubled team,
Super Aguri F1 suitor Franz Josef Weigl has insisted that it needs to continue plying its trade in the
Formula One world championship.
The latest bizarre twist in the increasingly sorry saga surrounding SAF1's future saw the team barred from the paddock at Turkey's Istanbul Park circuit over the weekend, apparently on the orders of Honda F1 boss Nick Fry. Fry claims to be working on behalf of Honda top brass, pending their meeting with SAF1 boss Aguri Suzuki this week to discuss the future of the team.
While Honda has said that it is not prepared to continue propping up SAF1's ambitions, it also appears reluctant to accept the Weigl Group's intended rescue plan. The Japanese giant apparently discounted Weigl's first offer of help earlier in the season, and continues to doubt whether it can offer sufficient assistance to keep the troubled team afloat. Barring SAF1 from the paddock is being reported as an attempt to prevent Honda from being embarrassed when the team cannot run this weekend.
Weigl, meanwhile, insists that his offer is genuine and reportedly completed meetings with investors associated with his company before finalising his offer to Honda to partner Super Aguri
F1. He is currently awaiting a decision from the Honda board in Tokyo, but maintains that entering F1 is not only about rescuing an ailing team - and 'bringing it to a high competitive level' - but also taking a concerted step in furthering the promotion of his company, which is reported to be worth around $200m.
"I met Aguri Suzuki two years ago, [but] have always been impressed by the Super Aguri team," Weigl insists, "The team is a strong fighter and very competitive for the level of investment. For my company and my investors, with the help of
Honda, Super Aguri must survive, live and become successful.
