SA ready for final race of the season

The gripping 2006 season reaches its climax this weekend as Formula One heads to Brazil for Round 18 of the Formula One World Championship. This is the last of the final three long-haul races which concludes the SUPER AGURI F1 TEAM’s four-week, round-the-world trip from Japan to China and then this week to South America.

The Brazilian Grand Prix has always been a firm favourite on the F1 calendar. The Autodromo José Carlos Pace at Interlagos is a circuit which provides a number of good overtaking opportunities and the unpredictable weather can provide an exciting race. The SAF1 Team travels to the last race of the season still flying high from the massive support it received in Suzuka, Japan, last week.

“It is funny but I have mixed feelings coming to this race as the season seems to have gone so quickly, but also have been a long one at the same time. Following a fantastic double-header in China and Japan the motivation with in the team is high. Obviously Japan was our most important race, but to finish strongly in Brazil, the last race of the season, is also very important to us. The track at Interlagos is very interesting and has totally different characteristics to both the circuits in Shanghai and Suzuka. I believe that we now have a strong car package as we have been able to show that we are competitive during the last race.”

“This will be my first visit to Brazil. There were lots of events following the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka so I stayed there for a while after the race, but I have been working hard towards Brazil. I started participating Formula One half way through the season, but so many things have happened since then and time has flown by so quickly that I cannot believe that it is already the Brazilian Grand Prix - the last race of the season. Things haven’t necessarily been easy, but I managed to finish the race in Suzuka which is the circuit where I grew up. I would very much like to keep this flow going and do my best, together with the team, to achieve the best result possible for the last race of the season.”

"Looking back over this season, it has been a long uphill climb for the SAF1 Team. We have come a long way under very difficult circumstances, having started the season with what was essentially an old car. As we have proved at the last race in Japan by finishing 15th and 17th, we are now not just making up the numbers, but are becoming a competitor. I am hoping that we shall be able to continue this great roll that we have from Japan into Brazil and pick up some great results again. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, the fans, the drivers, the team and everyone who has supported us throughout our first season.”