page_title: Super Aguri F1
section_title: 2006
hierarchical_section_title: Super Aguri F1 / Racing history / 2006
caption_attribution_description: Franck Montagny driving for Super Aguri F1 at the .
context_page_description: Super Aguri F1 was a Formula One team that competed from 2006 to 2008. The team, founded by former F1 driver Aguri Suzuki, was based in Tokyo, Japan but operated from the former Arrows factory at the Leafield Technical Centre, Oxfordshire. The cars were referred to as Super Aguri Hondas, with the team functioning to some degree as an unofficial Honda 'B'-team. After participating in the championship for 2 years and 4 months, the team withdrew from F1 after 4 races in the 2008 season due to financial difficulties. Throughout the team's time in the sport, it scored 4 points. All of these were scored by Takuma Sato during the 2007 season.
context_section_description: In 2006, the cars were powered by Honda engines (RA806E 2.4 V8), and used Bridgestone tyres. The chassis, SA05, was an updated version of the 2002 Arrows A23, bought from ex-Minardi principal Paul Stoddart who purchased them when the Arrows team went into receivership. As such, the team's car, infrastructure and even operating base had its origins with TWR Arrows. Underlining the links to the former team, the technical side was overseen by former Arrows engineer Mark Preston, who brought many of the old Arrows mechanics back with him. The team had announced plans to produce a new in-house chassis later on in the 2006 season, possibly for the European races, but this never came into fruition. Instead, the team updated their older chassis to become the SA06 – a change which was visible from the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, onwards.
  Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide were the initial race drivers for the team in the 2006 season, with Franck Montagny as the third driver. Ide's selection was puzzling due to his age (the oldest F1 rookie at 31 years), lack of European racing experience, and not speaking English, nonetheless, Aguri Suzuki was initially adamant on promoting Japanese talent. On 4 May, after four races, the team announced that Montagny would be replacing Ide as race driver in the European Grand Prix and subsequent races, after Ide's Super Licence was revoked after a clash with Christijan Albers.
  The team made it onto the grid for the start of the season. In its debut race at Bahrain, Sato successfully completed the Grand Prix while Ide retired on lap 35 with a mechanical failure and after nearly running over his pit crew. Suzuki deemed this race to be a good test for the team as the car had only done a maximum of 10 laps during pre-season testing. The team's second race (in Malaysia) was little better, with again only Sato finishing the race.
  Super Aguri's third race, the Australian Grand Prix, saw significant improvement. Ide said "This is the first time that both Taku and I have finished a race, so I am happy about that."
  For the European Grand Prix, Ide and Montagny swapped roles within the team, at the request of the FIA, who felt Ide needed more experience outside of the Grand Prix. This was mostly due to a collision between him and Midland driver Christijan Albers at the San Marino Grand Prix.
  As of 10 May 2006 the FIA Permit Office revoked Ide's Super Licence, thus preventing his return to an F1 seat until at least the 2007 season. Montagny raced until and including the French Grand Prix, and on 8 June 2006 Sakon Yamamoto became Super Aguri's third driver. Montagny and Yamamoto swapped roles for the German Grand Prix, with Yamamoto taking over Super Aguri's second car.
  When the updated car (the SA06) was first raced in the German Grand Prix, it managed to impress, with decent qualifying positions (managing to outperform the Midland F1 Team), although failing to finish the race.
  The team's improving form culminated with an impressive tenth place at the Brazilian Grand Prix from Sato, whilst Yamamoto set the seventh-fastest fastest lap, less than a second behind most of the points-finishers.
caption: Franck Montagny at the 2006 French Grand Prix.
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