Super Aguri given ok

The Japanese-owned team have had a tumultuous pre-season so far with speculation that Aguri Suzuki will sell the team to Spanish investors abound, and testing of the SA08 disrupted by financial worries.

The news has been greeted by Japanese racer Takuma Sato, who is expected to partner Anthony Davidson in the team this year, despite no drivers having yet been officially confirmed by the squad.

"We were supposed to go to Valencia last week with the SA07B with some upgrades, but that was cancelled," Sato said.

"Next week, we'll go to Jerez and then, after that, we should have two consecutive three-day tests at Barcelona, so that will be a total of nine days' testing.

"We'll be using an interim car to start with, and we probably won't have the fully updated car until the last Barcelona test. Then I hope we can bring along the whole new package to Melbourne for the first race, the Australian Grand Prix."

Super Aguri will launch the SA08 on February 19 in Barcelona.