Super Aguri had withdrawn from Formula One racing - that news broke this week and it came as a bitter blow to all those involved, but in particular to driver Anthony Davidson. After years of toil as a Honda tester, it was Super Aguri who finally gave Davidson a full-time race seat. As he prepares to spend the Turkish Grand Prix on the sidelines, the Briton discusses his reaction to recent events - and his belief that his F1 career is far from over…Here is an interview with Anthony Davidson on this occasion. (published on F1’s official web site)
Q: What was your initial reaction when you heard the news about the team?
- It wasn't a complete shock as we have all known how difficult things have been, but I'm obviously really disappointed that the team is unable to see out the rest of the season and beyond, and gutted not just for myself but for all the guys at the factory who have worked so hard.
Q: Have you spoken to the team since the news broke?
- Yes, I spoke to my engineer and a few people at the team this morning, and I have been at the factory in Leafield today.
Q: Looking over your time at the team, what have been the best moments, and the worst, other than our recent news?
- There have been a lot of good moments - being on the grid in Melbourne for the first time last year having waited so long for a race drive, and some very strong qualifying performances would be among my favourites. The worst moment was hearing that the team was withdrawing, and of course the infamous ground hog which cost me a top five result...
Q: What do you think made Super Aguri team so special?
- It was a small team, but with a lot of passion. The team has always worked incredibly hard, and I think this year the guys showed great dedication and loyalty to keep fighting especially given the uncertainty over the future.
Q: What is in store for you now?
- After several years as a test driver in F1 I’m glad that I had the chance to show that I can race and to prove my speed, and I’m grateful to the team and Honda for the opportunity. Although it's a difficult time of the year to find an alternative option as most plans are finalised and the season is well underway, I’m glad I took the opportunity to compete again this year and strongly believe that I have unfinished business in Formula One.
Q: And finally, Super Aguri fans in their thousands have sent messages of good will and support to the team in Leafield. Do you have a message for the fans around the world?
- The SAF1 Team fans have always been brilliant and I would like to thank them for their incredible support. The many messages that we have received have been very much appreciated.
The Italian press believes Ferrari is set to dominate the 2008 season. Despite officials for the Maranello based team's rivals McLaren and BMW playing down the gap following Ferrari's second consecutive one-two victory on Sunday, the sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport insists that the "dominance" of the scarlet F2008 at Barcelona was "impressive"."Not a single mistake was committed," - Gazzetta added. "McLaren and BMW are far away. After Spain, the 2008 world championship could be over."
Corriere dello Sport said of championship leader Kimi Raikkonen: "The Finn is objectively the only true candidate for the title. As in the past, this championship could become 'formula boredom'."
The Turin-based national newspaper Tuttosport added: "Raikkonen and Massa conquered Spain and demonstrated Ferrari's absolute power.The advantage over their rivals is almost embarrassing, even though Stefano Domenicali has called for restraint. Raikkonen had the race totally under control, and Massa actively supported him. This is his role, even if he does not want to admit it."
Rome-newspaper Il Messaggero wrote: "The Ferrari conductors are trying to curb the enthusiasm, but it is obvious that Ferrari's lead over McLaren and BMW is great."
And now BMW-Sauber, and probably other formula one teams, will shortly experiment with the new 'nose hole' innovation that featured on the dominant Ferrari cars in last weekend's Spanish grand prix.
Although Maranello based Ferrari insists that the
shark mouth-style feature in front of the driver position may not be used at every race this season, BMW technical director Willy Rampf confirmed that a similar concept will be trialled in the team's Hinwil wind tunnel in the coming days.
"I am almost certain that it would also work on some of the other cars so we will have a look," -Rampf is quoted as saying by Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell publication.
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