F1: Super Aguri cuts jobs, blaming budget
By Andy Darley
Saturday, November 24th, 2007
F1 underdogs Super Aguri look to be cutting about a quarter of their 120-strong team, according to a report in their local newspaper the Oxford Mail.
The Leafield-based team and its drivers, Anthony Davidson and Takuma Sato, punched above their weight during the 2007 season despite a financial squeeze that saw founder Aguri Suzuki searching for new investment.
These job cuts come despite his announcement of new backers late in the season, and rumours of payment from Honda for giving driving time during the recent Barcelona tests to developmental talents Mike Conway, Andreas Zuber and Luca Filippi.
The lost jobs are coming from departments across the team. Spokeswoman Emma Bearpark told the Mail that it was hoped many of the staff would find jobs elsewhere in F1 or with engine suppliers Honda during the next month while the redundancy process runs its course.
She said: “We have said all year we are a small team. We are beginning our third year now and all year we have said we required extra funding.
“What we are doing now is unfortunate. We hope that the people identified are able to get jobs in other parts of the company or the Formula 1 industry.”
One unhappy maintenance worker who is to lose his job told the paper anonymously: “A lot of people are very upset they have done this just weeks before Christmas.”
Related posts:
- F1: Davidson should have Aguri race drive
- F1: Mercedes sheds around 50 jobs at Brixworth
- F1: Could Super Aguri – and Davidson – ride again?
- F1: Davidson views glass as half-full
- F1: Super Aguri’s sponsorship woes threaten Davidson’s season
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Author: Andy Darley. Ex-journalist, fan of David Coulthard and anyone who ever drove or tested for Minardi and didn't say rude things about the team afterwards. Owns a Triumph Spitfire and hopes that, one day, it'll be on the road again. Andy has written 608 articles for us.
