Super Aguri’s ‘new’ car for 2007, the unlaunched SA07, is indeed clearly a development of Honda’s RA106 contender that was raced last year.
A source at the scene of the season opener in Melbourne confirmed on Tuesday that the car – to be launched in the Albert Park pitlane on Wednesday – is visibly distinguishable from the 2006 Honda but nonetheless obviously based on the car that carried Jenson Button to victory in Hungary last August.
The development is sure to re-fire the contentious ‘car sharing’ debate, where Super Aguri and Toro Rosso’s closest rivals Spyker and Williams are threatening legal action.
No compromise has been reached prior to the circus’ overseas trip to Australia, almost guaranteeing a bitter stoush in the southern country, but it is still thought unlikely that the saga will end up in a Melbourne civil court.