MARCH 14, 2007

Super Aguri rolls out new package

The Super Aguri F1 team had finally unveiled its new package for 2007 with the unveiling of the new SA07 in Melbourne.

The Super Aguri F1 team had finally unveiled its new package for 2007 with the unveiling of the new SA07 in Melbourne.

The SA07 is a continuation of the development process which began last year with the outdated SA05. The work has been done with a collaboration between the SAF1 Team Design Department led by chief designer Peter McCool and Honda's R&D centre in Tochigi, Japan.

The new car is a big step forward for the team and should increase the team's performance and provide a more competitive package. The car features a carbon gearbox as part of the drivetrain from Honda. The team used a Honda car for the winter testing in order to build up an understanding of the characteristics of the latest Bridgestone tyres.

"The winter testing period has been very good for the team," said Aguri Suzuki. "We have been able to complete most of the things that we had planned to do, including the evaluation of the reliability of new parts for the SA07. There are many things that we were not able to do due to time and resources, but all things considered I am very happy with the car that we have here in Melbourne. Takuma Sato has been with us a whole season and now understands the SAF1 Team philosophy, style and people. I believe that with our new car he is going to achieve much more this year. Anthony Davidson has been with Honda Racing F1 as a test driver for five years and brings with him a wealth of experience. Although he has only three F1 race starts under his belt, with his knowledge and experience to technically evaluate the car, I believe that he will perform well.

The team is aiming to score as many points as possible this year and expects to be ahead of some of the smaller teams this year.

"The power-train will be exactly the same as on the interim car, as it is a continuation of what we used in 2006, but, aerodynamically the car will be sporting different wings and other aerodynamic devices," says Mark Preston. "Most other areas have stayed fairly similar, with radiator packaging and electronics not varying much from last year. The SA07 is a big step forward for the team, with our continued and increasing collaboration. We shall have more downforce, increased efficiency, the carbon gearbox and integration of a reliable power-train from Honda. We have been working on this project for the past eight months - both with Honda Japan and other suppliers in the UK - and the car features a new monocoque, developed in conjunction with Honda, which gives us a large step forward in centre of gravity and more flexibility for the aerodynamicists."