Matsuura out of Super Aguri running.

Kosuke Matsuura has effectively removed himself from contention in the race to land the second Super Aguri F1 seat alongside expected team leader Takuma Sato by re-signing for the squad's Indy Racing League line-up.

Super Aguri Fernandez Racing team owners Aguri Suzuki - who runs the nascent F1 operation - and Adrian Fernandez confirmed Matsuura's IRL return overnight, inking the Japanese driver's name to the #55 Panasonic ARTA Dallara-Honda.

Matsuura was the second name to be linked to the second seat at Super Aguri F1, after Honda test driver Anthony Davidson, but has since been joined on the 'possibles' list by fellow countrymen Yuji Ide and Sakon Yamamoto. Perhaps unsure of the F1 team's participation following the delay in confirming its entry, he has now opted to return to the IRL series he has graced for the past two seasons, leaving Ide as most people's tip to partner Sato - at least for the first part of the season.

Davidson has signed a deal to return to Honda as third driver for another year, but team boss Gil de Ferran has hinted that the Briton may yet get a few race outings in 2006, although he is not saying where. With Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello ensconced at Honda, Super Aguri would be the most obvious setting for Davidson's race return, particularly once it has got its own car up and running in place of the reworked Arrows chassis it intends to start the campaign with.

The FIA has yet to confirm Super Aguri's participation in 2006, however, despite the team claiming that it has the support of its ten rivals and that it has lodged its entry bond with the governing body.