The FIA announced today that
it has accepted the entry of the Super Aguri F1 team to the 2006 Formula One World Championship.
The
announcement was widely expected, after the team submitted the required $48 million performance bond and gained the
necessary acceptance of the ten other teams for its late application.
The team is headed by former Japanese
F1 driver Aguri Suzuki (pictured), and supported by Honda, who will provide engines for the team. In order to field two
cars for the March season opener in Bahrain, Super Aguri plan to run Honda-powered Arrows chassis, while the team
develops its own car for later in the season.
2006 will be the first time the Formula 1 grid has had 22 cars
since the demise of the Arrows team in 2002. The lead driver for the team will be Takuma Sato, with another Japanese
driver likely to take the number two seat.