Fry: Super Aguri in safe hands
Super Aguri are in safe hands under the new ownership of the Magma Group, claims Honda Racing CEO Nick Fry, and are set to become a constructor a year earlier than had previously been planned
Following weeks of discussions, Super Aguri announced on Monday that a deal was in place for automotive consultancy business, the Magma Group, to take over the outfit.
And with Fry knowing Magma boss Martin Leach well, he is confident that the new ownership and plans for the future will help make Super Aguri a strong force in F1.
"Martin and I go back 30 years, and he I actually started to have discussions at Silverstone last year about the possibilities (with Super Aguri)," Fry told autosport.com.
"It took a long time to bring it home though. There were a number of other options, but a lot of the other options were not at all viable in my view. Martin was the best option.
"He knows cars and he knows car racing. He is a very competitive feisty little individual and between him and Aguri they will do a very good job. Between them it is a good balance."
Fry also believes that Honda Racing will benefit from the move, because it means that Super Aguri will start the process of becoming an outright constructor from as soon as next year - having effectively been a customer team up until now.
"Honda are happy with the outcome," continued Fry. "They realised, and Martin and Magma realise, that they have got to turn themselves into full blown constructors - which is a major task.
"And that needs to start straight away. That is what we need as well. We need 100 percent focus on us and our team.
"The relationship between us (Honda Racing and Super Aguri) will change starting now really. They are a separately-owned team and there is a structure plan over the next 12 months to turn them into proper constructors, so the relationship will change.
"They have got to be a full-blown do everything themselves (constructor) from 2010, but they will be doing most of it in 2009 as well. So it will effectively be a pull ahead of one year compared to the previous plan."
Fry also said that it was unlikely that the team name would change in the foreseeable future, even if, as expected, major investment from Dubai comes on tap.
"You would have to ask Magma about that, but certainly for the foreseeable future it will remain Super Aguri."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Hamilton: Ferrari F1 switch doesn't need "vindicating"
The story behind Shanghai's "painted" F1 track surprise
The ironic reason Newey thinks Red Bull hasn't been caught in F1 yet
Mercedes F1 junior Pin joins the FRECA grid
Hamilton: Ferrari F1 switch doesn't need "vindicating"
Antonelli completes maiden Mercedes F1 test
The story behind Shanghai's "painted" F1 track surprise
How the F1 driver market situation sits for each team with 2025 openings
What's been going wrong for Leclerc in F1's tiny margins qualifying game
What the Chinese GP's highlights reveal about its first F1 race for five years
The secrets of F1 turbocharging explained
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments