F1 - Super Aguri trucks denied access to Istanbul Park

ITV Sport reported that Super Aguri have been denied access to Istanbul Park Circuit

Super Aguri's future has been cast into fresh doubt after the team's trucks and motorhome were prevented from entering the Istanbul circuit today.

ITV Sport was told that that Formula One Management ordered its staff not to allow Super Aguri's personnel into the paddock after Honda team boss Nick Fry informed Bernie Ecclestone that Aguri Suzuki's squad would not be racing in Turkey next weekend.

Super Aguri is set for a crunch meeting with the Honda board this week, at which the Japanese manufacturer will decide whether to accept the Weigl Group's bid to rescue its second team.

But Fry has already expressed his scepticism about the Weigl deal.

"It would appear unlikely that a company the size of Weigl is able to support a competitive Formula 1 team, unless of course there are other partners of which we have not been made aware," Fry told the Reuters news agency.

Weigl CEO Franz Josef Weigl believes his company has the resources to sustain Super Aguri, despite Fry's concerns.

"The Weigl Group's offer is backed by strong business finance partners who, along with the Weigl Group, would like to invest long-term and not just short-term," he said.


Super Aguri may not make a return to F1

"With our partners, the offer is not only about rescuing the team, but about constructing a future for the Super Aguri F1 team and Takuma Sato.

"We hope that Honda board members would be willing to have faith in our long-term business plan."

It is understood that Super Aguri believes it has been barred from the Istanbul paddock to avoid embarrassing Honda should it decide to reject the Weigl offer later in the week.

Honda has invested significantly in Super Aguri since forming the team for Sato in 2006, but now wants it to find new investment and become self-sufficient.

Despite the uncertainty over the team's future, Aguri has been preparing as normal for next weekend's Istanbul race.

Suzuki is understood to be trying to bring forward the crucial meeting with Honda in Tokyo to Monday.

ITV Sport