Super Aguri has been denied access to the Turkish Grand Prix circuit pending talks between founder Aguri Suzuki and backers Honda over the team's Formula One survival.
A team source said yesterday that the trucks and motorhome had been prevented from entering the Istanbul Park circuit ahead of this weekend's race.
"We will have to wait for a decision tomorrow," the source added, refusing to comment on a report that Honda F1 chief executive Nick Fry had told Formula One Management (FOM) that the team would not be racing in Turkey, the fifth round of the season.
Super Aguri is fighting for its survival after the collapse of a takeover deal last month by the Dubai-backed Magma Group and Suzuki is hoping to see the Honda board in Tokyo today.
If that fails, Formula One will be left with 10 teams for the first time since 2005.
Japanese driver Takuma Sato said he was stunned when his manager told him the news.
"I heard that FOM was told that we are not racing so they won't let the trucks in," he said on his Website (www.takumasato.com). "But I don't understand why they have been told this when no decision has been made yet."
Sources have said Super Aguri, founded at short notice to secure Sato a place on the grid when he was dropped by Honda at the end of 2005, owe Honda around US$100 million.
The team announced an 11th hour deal "for a substantial shareholding" on Friday with Germany's Weigl Group, although Fry was sceptical the proposal would be acceptable to Honda.
"It would appear unlikely that a company the size of Weigl is able to support a competitive Formula One team, unless of course there are other partners of which we have not been made aware," he said on Friday.
Honda F1 is Honda's main focus and the Japanese carmaker, which helped Super Aguri get through the previous Spanish Grand Prix, has made clear it does not want to pay for two teams.
Super Aguri's cars, effectively last year's Honda, has been returned to Honda F1's Brackley factory since the race in Barcelona on April 28 while the trucks headed for Istanbul.
Suzuki met members of the Honda board in Tokyo last Wednesday in a last-ditch bid to keep the cash-strapped team afloat and is due to have a second meeting after coming up with the Weigl bid.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily May 6, 2008)