Super Aguri - team with a conscience

[davyboy]

I'm here in Japan at the moment and took a stroll down to Harajuku in Tokyo this afternoon. To my surprise, Super Aguri Formula 1 had a big stand in the street with lots of girls handing out sticker packs and postcards. Here's what it says on the stickers :

"Trust. Justice. Decency. Sense of duty. Courage... Super Aguri Formula 1 is now standing tall to reclaim Japanese Pride we have been missing for recent while. Show your support by putting the sticker on everything !"

Hhhhmmm...

[dsg]

They certainly sound as if they are trying to drum up some nationalistic support and judging some of that support for JV, Webber and Button in here it may or may not be a good thing.

[davyboy]

That certainly seems to be the direction they're going in alright. Their main strapline is "Born in Japan", with the 'o' containing the Japanese flag... you can check it out on their placemarker website www.saf1.jp. It does lend more weight to them having two Japanese drivers doesn't it.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Interesting that they say Japanese pride has been missing. I was always under the impression that the Japanese fans were fully behind the Honda and Toyota efforts, or has the lack of a national driver put a damper on the Honda support slightly?

[Peter Mallett]

Um,

What nationality is Takuma Sato who I believe until recently was a full time driver?

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Silk Cut Jaguar

Interesting that they say Japanese pride has been missing. I was always under the impression that the Japanese fans were fully behind the Honda and Toyota efforts, or has the lack of a national driver put a damper on the Honda support slightly?

It could be that Honda and Toyota without Japanese drivers in 2006 are 'missing Japanese Pride'... not to worry, Super Aguri are here 'standing tall to reclaim it' :-) Seriously though, it will be interesting to see whether they take a more jingoistic approach than we'd normally expect from an F1 team in order to rouse support [financial and otherwise] from Japanese commercial giants. We may laugh at some of their current retoric given that they're planning to turn up at the first race with 4 year old technology... but if their funding is strong who knows what we may be able to expect from them in the years ahead.

[Bononi]

That's pretty much the japanese style, that sort of thing is part of their culture. Rather than a real situation - japanese drivers were never at the top in F1 - is more a way to motivate people to support the team.

[Suze]

It's a good way of getting people behind the team, it's not a teeny country after all. Bononi hit's it spot on

[BootsOntheSide]

Sounds like a piece of marketing imagery more than 'conscience' - the Japanese have been among the keenest F1 fans over the last 20 years, with some very partisan support behind Honda and Toyota over the last few seasons. Having a Japanese driver at the very top would be good for the sport there, but I can't see Taku doing that anymore.

[JohnSSC]

Sounds remarkably like jingoism. You have to admit it is a different take to try to gain supporters via national pride rather than the potential for results.

[Marbot]

Two Japanese drivers.......exactly how many tubs did Aguri buy.

[Logrence]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Um,

What nationality is Takuma Sato who I believe until recently was a full time driver?

I think it's that until recently they're referring to. BAR-Honda getting rid of Takuma was a huge deal in Japan - this is what led to SAF1 being started.

That front page they've got up looks very cool, I don't think they're necessarily going to appeal just to the Japanese - Japanese culture is very cool at the moment, it could be something they'll capitalise on.

[Swiss]

The Japanese fan base for F1 is very strong but they do like to be behind a driver as well as a team as already stated with the furore over BAR and Sato. It will be interesting to see what sponsors they bring online as trhere are some large Japanese groups that aren't necessarily represented in car manufacturing.

[davyboy]

One further footnote to this. A new shopping mall opened in Harajuku over the weekend called Omote Sando Hills. Its a monstrous development full of designer shops i.e. Prada, Gucci etc... and was a major news event in Japan. The entire length of the thoroughfare on which the mall is situated has SAF1 flags and banners hanging from the lamposts and it appears that businesses in the Harajuku area are backing or sponsoring SAF1 in some way or other. That thoroughfare from Omote Sando down to Harajuku is like Bond Street in London or 5th Avenue in New York... so Aguri's getting very high profile exposure from elite Japanese businesses. It will be very interesting to see the identity of his backers in all of this.

[Suze]

yes, but it'll be interesting to see them on the grid first too!

[Logrence]

I don't think they'll ever get to be in first.

[ss_collins]

I wonder if you catch a bullet train to leafield? I'm all for jingoistic, nationalist teams. So tell frank to paint his cars green!

Just imagine a series where every car represnts it s country of origin... hang on...

[Russfeld]

How can they hope to play up the national card when you now have a full Honda effort alongside Toyota? Those two represent Japan in a way no privateer can.

[dazbaz_99]

I heard a while back they were testing the car today for the first time, or at least giving it a shakedown. Anyone know if this happened? Or are they waiting till the Jerez test.

[Alfa Fan]

http://www.autosport.com/images/upload/1139932018.jpg

[dazbaz_99]

Ok, where was that held?! Heathrow?

[Valker]

Originally Posted by dazbaz_99

Ok, where was that held?! Heathrow?

Kemble.

[BertMk2]

The shakedown was at Kemble

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=109546

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Russfeld

How can they hope to play up the national card when you now have a full Honda effort alongside Toyota? Those two represent Japan in a way no privateer can.

You would imagine so, wouldn't you, but its not really seen that way in Japan. The nation was mobilized by Takuma Sato's [relative] success in a way I've never seen before [I've practically lived in Japan for almost 10 years]. Toyota and Honda never got achieved similar nationalist patronage. I guess its similar to how the British public would see an adversarial challenge between Senna in a McLaren and Mansell in a Ferrari. Our attention is driven much more to the driver than the car. Only in Italy do the Tifosi get behind the team. Also Toyota and Honda are seen as large international manufacturers [I guess like Ford and GM] rather than ensigns worthy of nationalistic pride.

... just my humble opinion.

[davyboy]

It is great that a new team's on the block though, no matter how poor their performance will be. We all need an underdog to cheer and good on Aguri for making it happen. Lots of people who talked about doing what's achieved already... never translated the retoric into action.