Ex-Super Aguri driver needs new home. Can Renault help?

After the collapse of Super Aguri, Takuma Sato is without a team for the remainder of the season. That’s a shame, because Sato is one of the most exciting and enigmatic drivers in F1. Yes, he’s inconsistent, but he can be as fast as anyone, given the right machinery.

Rumours doing the rounds at Istanbul last weekend suggested that Taku might replace Rubens Barrichello at Honda in 2009. It’s a credible rumour, given that Super Aguri were powered by Honda, and also that Sato is, like Honda, Japanese.

The stories that qualified on pole today

Ferrari has decided not to debut its innovative new “nose with the hole” (pictured above) at the Turkish GP this weekend. Istanbul is a low-downforce track, so despite the nose’s success in testing at the Circuit de Catalunya last month, we’ll have to wait to see how it fares in a real race. [Autosport]

Marco Andretti fastest in first practice session for this weekend’s Indy 500 – in an Indiana Jones-themed car. Indytastic. [IndyCar]

Honda’s chief executive won’t be sad to see back of Suzuki’s team

Nick Fry (above left, with Jenson Button) never hid his scepticism towards Super Aguri. He said at the Spanish GP:

“Honda have given Super Aguri every available bit of support over and above what was anticipated… We tried to help as much as possible and Honda never intended to fund two F1 teams. We’ve gone way beyond what was ever originally anticipated. Now Aguri [Suzuki, the team’s owner] has got to find some money.”

F1 also-rans call it a day

We knew things were bad when Super Aguri sent driver Anthony Davidson out on a tandem. Now comes the news that the under-powered, under-financed team has withdrawn from F1 with immediate effect; an 11th-hour rescue package by German auto company Weigl Group was not enough to keep them racing at the back of the grid.

Grid Crasher’s daily link dump

NFL star Randy Moss (pictured) plans to start his own Nascar Craftsman Truck team in 2009. At the moment he lacks a manufacturer, a driver and a sponsor. Apart from that, he’s good to go. [Jalopnik]

Herr Max Mosley has failed in his bid to prevent the French enjoying his “Nazi orgy” sex video. Merde! [ITV]

DC fined, then told to “shut up” by Super Aguri backmarker

The broad-chinned Scot is having something of a season horribilis, so far at least. He has yet to score a single point in four grands prix for Red Bull, prompting many people to say “You’re a bit crap these days, hang up your racing gloves”, or words to that effect. He looks especially bad when team-mate Mark Webber is going round and round considerably faster than him.

On top of that, he has just been told to “shut up” by fellow Brit Anthony Davidson, who drives for Super Aguri. DC complained about the Honda-powered strugglers this week, calling them “Stupid Aguri” (clever, Dave, like your work).

Troubled Japanese team not certain to line up on grid this weekend

Despite sending a full team to Barcelona, Super Aguri have not yet decided if they will run in Sunday’s Spanish GP. The future of the Japanese team is in doubt after potential investors pulled out last week. Britain’s Magma Group were expected to buy-out Aguri Suzuki’s team of no-good backmarkers at the end of March, with the financial assistance of Dubai International Capital. But DIC reportedly has cold feet – its head has been turned instead by the shiny red cash machine that is Liverpool Football Club.

Today’s fastest news stories, rumours and lies

First up, a round-up of Herr Max’s latest exploits:

In a cunning bid to keep himself in the news, Max Mosley (pictured above as a young man, with father Oswald) has filed legal action in Paris to prevent the infamous “Nazi orgy” video being viewed online in France. A similar bid failed in the UK. [Reuters]

The Times claims that Bernie Ecclestone wants Mosley to accept defeat like a man. One close friend of Ecclestone said: “President Mosley is in danger of becoming motor racing’s President Mugabe.” Hmm, not sure that Max’s legal team will like that. [The Times]

Today’s top news stories from F1 and beyond

Super Aguri may be forced out of Formula One after a potential investor pulled the plug on a multi-million pound deal. The struggling Japanese team (look in the dictionary under “backmarker” and you’ll see a Super Aguri car, probably being lifted from a track), which has been absent from testing in Barcelona this week, could miss next week’s Spanish Grand Prix after owner Aguri Suzuki admitted he will have to “consider the future of the team”. Without Aguri, who will Fernando Alonso have to overtake? [Telegraph]

More news coming up…