Aguri not giving up on van der Garde

Van der Garde agreed a deal to be Super Aguri's third driver this year, but left the team in February to switch camps and join Spyker.

It had been planned for van der Garde to be Spyker's Friday test driver at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix but, as autosport.com reported earlier today, those plans have been put on hold because he has not yet been granted his superlicence.

Super Aguri's managing director Daniel Audetto said at the Australian Grand Prix on Wednesday that they believed their contract with van der Garde was still valid - and that he would not be able to drive for Spyker until a severance deal had been agreed.

"The situation is still ongoing," said Audetto. "We have a contract that is registered with the Contracts Recognition Board, so if he wants to drive for us he is always welcome - but he has to fulfil the contractual obligation.

"If he wants to drive for another team then he has to have the superlicence, and they cannot give the superlicence unless we find some sort of agreement. The contract is signed with us and the contract is registered with the CRB in Switzerland, and that means he cannot get another licence to drive with another team.

"So it is up to him. If he wants to race with us or not, or if he doesn't want to race with us, then we have to find some sort of agreement."