The Weekly Grapevine

Suzuki and the Reality of Racing in 2006

Aguri Suzuki's third place in the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix may have been the crowning glory of a Formula One career which delivered less than it promised, but the Japanese - until Taku Sato's third place in last year's US Grand Prix, the only driver from the Asian country to stand on a podium - faces the race of his life if he is to get his Super Aguri Formula One team off the ground in time for 2006's opening race in Bahrain on 12 March.

Alluded to in the build-up to his home race, the former Lola, Zakspeed and Arrows driver's plans were treated with scepticism by a press who saw the Honda-linked rumours as a convenient let-off for a BAR-Honda embattled after announcing the sacking of Sato. After all, what better way of silencing partisan critics than the announcement of a second Honda-powered team, one with a home-grown flavour and aiming to employ Sato, to boot?

At the time, BAR CEO Nick Fry suggested that his operation would be substantially assisting the then-unnamed newcomer - with both engine and chassis technology - leading to suggestions that Suzuki's operation would be, in effect, a satellite running 2005 chassis and even, thought some, rev-limited V10 engines as provided for by the 2006 regulations.

Then, for a while, things went silent. This week, though, Suzuki confirmed having lodged an entry for 2006 with the FIA, and, suddenly the plot thickened. Despite regular promises from FIA President Max Mosley that the $48m bond would be scrapped, no such development has occurred. Thus Suzuki needs to lodge the amount by the closing date for 2006 entries (15 November), or sit out the year. Should his team, said to have backing from a software company-owning billionaire, fail to make the Bahraini grid, it would lose 25% ($12m) of the bond.

There does, however, exist a precedent for late arrival - in 1999, Toyota, who originally aimed to begin racing in 2001, requested a postponement by 12 months. This was granted without penalty, and Suzuki could apply for a similar dispensation should the need occur. Such a delay would not, though, appease a Japan desperate to see Sato racing in 2006 - if, that is, he is earmarked for a seat, for recently Suzuki has played down such suggestions.

As always, there are more drivers than seats, and Suzuki is quite correct in stating, as he did this week, that "It could be two Japanese drivers or one Japanese driver; it could even be two foreign drivers. Right now we are in a race with time and we have other priorities." So, no guarantees at all that Sato will even be in the frame.

To design, build and test a competitive car - the 107% qualifying regulation is still very much on Formula One's books, and could well be applied next year - in the four wintry months remaining before Bahrain will be a well-nigh impossible task, meaning Suzuki will have to look to a friendly technology partner for assistance. Here, of course, BAR could step into the breach, provided no Concorde Agreement rules are broken in the process.

One such clause (Schedule 3), we are told, reads: "A constructor is a person (including any corporate or unincorporated body) who owns the intellectual property rights to the rolling chassis it currently races and does not incorporate in such chassis any part designed or manufactured by any other constructor of Formula One racing cars, except for standard items of safety equipment. Provided always that nothing in this Schedule 3 shall prevent the use of an engine or gearbox manufactured by a person other than the constructor of the chassis."

Come their first Grand Prix, Super Aguri Formula One would indisputably be an incorporated body currently racing, and any chassis components acquired - by whatever means - from BAR would be in breach of the clause, for BAR is a constructor of Formula One racing cars, and the components would by no stretch of any imagination be safety items. Patently, based on the foregoing, the purchase of the intellectual rights to components would leave Suzuki's team in breach of Concorde, for BAR-Honda, too, is very much an incorporated body.

There could remain, however, another, rather less obvious option. At the end of 2004, the most successful season in BAR's short existence, the company owning 006's intellectual rights was placed in technical liquidation as a means of resolving long-standing shareholder issues. British American Racing was then re-incorporated, with British American Tobacco holding 55% of the shares, Honda the balance and team founder Craig Pollock left marginalised. Whilst BAR Mk11 acquired all BAR Mk1's assets, the car known as 006 was certainly never raced or constructed by the holding company of the entity today known as BAR-Honda - providing the escape clause Suzuki is so badly in need of.

The Japanese former driver, who has entered cars and teams in championships ranging from Japanese GT to the Indy Racing League, has admitted to requesting clarity from the FIA over his preferred option. However, he admitted that "Approval from the FIA is not in our control", and will have to wait until 1 December to hear the outcome.

As engines and transmissions are excluded from the Concorde clause, and a hybrid version of 006 served as 'concept' car for the 007 design raced by BAR-Honda this year, there would appear to exist a certain amount of interchangeability, particularly as regards power- and drive-train units. Here conflicting rumours link Aguri Formula One variously to V8 and V10 engines, but given that Fry admitted earlier this week that BAR would continue evaluating both formats until well into 2006, indicating a high level of interchangeability.

Thus, having acquired the former Arrows premises, used until lately by the Menard/Cheever Indy Racing League outfits, and rev-limited Honda V10s (V8s?) mated to a 2004-spec BAR shod by Bridgestone, Suzuki may well have found a solution to his problem. That Taku Sato did most of the development work on the 006, which, in its hey-day, ran contemporary Ferraris, McLarens and Renaults close and raced well ahead of the Jordan base used by Midland this last season, will be no impediment during the team's first year, either.

Just how much slack Suzuki can expect from the sport's controlling body could, though, depend upon his political alignment. As the eleventh team he could tip the balance: the FIA/FOA/Ferrari alliance presently has three signed 'members' (Ferrari, Red Bull and Jordan), with Minardi/Toro Rosso's signature on the 2008-2012 Concorde expected to be a mere formality now that the deal between Red Bull and Paul Stoddart has been completed. Then, the Williams team now freed of manufacturer shackles, is expected to jump across in due course, making five outfits in that camp.

The Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association (formerly G9, nee GPWC), too, has five members: BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Renault and Toyota. Aguri-Honda would thus hold the decisive vote - something FIA President Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone would surely not overlook in their negotiations with the Japanese team owner.

If Aguri Suzuki gets it all together and his team makes it to the Bahraini grid, he will have proved to be a real racer, and achieved greater heights than his 1990 podium placing.

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- The Autosport.com Team

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