30/04/2008
NEWS STORY
New name linked with Super Aguri buy-out
It is being reported that the Weigl Group, a German automotive company, is interested in making a bid for the Super Aguri F1 team.
Company boss Franz Josef Weigl, a former motor-cycle racer, is understood to have attended the Spanish GP at the weekend, leading to speculation that the German company could be the Japanese outfit's saviour.
The bad news is that the sort of money being mentioned (£6.5 million) wouldn't pay Ferrari's catering costs for a GP weekend, and would probably only tide Super Aguri over for a few races.
Then again, with Honda understood to have said that they are no longer willing to financially aid the ailing Leafield outfit, having already stumped up a rumoured £50 million, Super Aguri might decide that the Weigl Group constitutes a gift horse that shouldn't be looked in the mouth.
On the other hand, talk of a deal with Weigl might well kick-start Dubai International Capital, the investors behind the Magma Group's buy-out, in to action.
There are thought to be several other potential purchasers looking at Super Aguri, including several outfits that failed to get the so-called twelfth-slot which was subsequently handed to David Richards’ Prodrive.