Super Aguri mull return to F1 'piranha club'

Japan's Super Aguri could be set for a surprise return to Formula One in 2010, after withdrawing a year ago due to financial difficulties.

Former Super Aguri team chief Aguri Suzuki told the Sankei Sports newspaper today that he was tempted to rejoin the sport he once labelled a "club full of piranhas".

"If it's physically possible I would certainly like to (return to Formula One)," Suzuki said.

Super Aguri quit the glamour sport after a promised major sponsorship deal collapsed and backers Honda were not prepared to offer long-term support.

The sport's governing body FIA has since set an optional cap of £40m teams to allow entrants that might otherwise struggle to compete against big-spenders like Ferrari and McLaren.

Although the optional cap is barely a quarter of what some teams have been spending, those that accept the cap would have more technical freedom in 2010 than those with unlimited budgets, the FIA said last week.

The FIA also announced there would be space for three new teams on next year's grid, potentially increasing the number of cars to 26 - six more than at present.

With the global economic downturn biting hard, Honda subsequently pulled out of Formula One themselves to cut costs amid slumping car sales.

Suzuki slammed Formula One at an emotional news conference last year, saying: "It's a club full of piranhas and I don't want to put my fingers back in."