Anthony Davidson names the current F1 team that reminds him of his time with Super Aguri

Follow us on Google Discover

Anthony Davidson has admitted that the new Visa Cash App RB team reminds him of his time with Formula 1 minnows Super Aguri.

The relationship between the team known as RB – or V-CARB – and Red Bull has tightened over the winter with Peter Bayer’s outfit no longer seen as their junior team.

However, speaking on Sky Sports F1 during pre-season testing in Bahrain, Davidson shared why he thinks they’re reminiscent of one of Formula 1’s most recent backmarkers.

Davidson makes the comparison between RB and Super Aguri

Pre-season testing gave us a glimpse of what the pecking order in Formula 1 might be for 2024.

No team showed their full hand in Sakhir, but one of the most notable improvements was from RB.

Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda both looked quick and appeared to build on the momentum they had at the end of the 2023 season.

That should leave them in good stead to be challenging in the top ten of both qualifying and the race itself.

However, Davidson has made the point of comparing RB to Super Aguri – who competed in F1 from 2006 to 2008.

They lasted just 39 races and scored four points, all coming courtesy of the erratic Japanese driver Takuma Sato.

They folded four races into the 2008 campaign and unlike many struggling teams during that time, weren’t saved by a new owner to carry them forward under a different name.

RB will hope for more success than Aguri Suzuki’s team

Speaking about Visa Cash App RB, Davidson said: “It just, and you’ll know exactly where I’m coming from with this, and it’s no disrespect to anybody there or at Red Bull of course. It just reminds me of my time in Super Aguri.

Asked to expand, Davidson added: “There’s a close relationship with Red Bull and RB.

“In terms of the technology as well, it just reminded me that there’s that similarity I see between the Honda days and Super Aguri.

“It just reminds me of those times. Maybe they’ll have a car that’s very successful this year.

“I’ve got high expectations for them for next week’s race.”

Honda have enjoyed a mixed time in F1 and as Davidson mentions, both RB and Super Aguri relied on them at times in their history.

They still provide the power units for RB and Red Bull and judging by Max Verstappen’s performance last year, it might be the best engine on the grid.

RB look set to rely more heavily on their sister team this year and it won’t be a huge coincidence if that sees them move up the grid.

However, there were concerns that the VCARB 01 would look just like last year’s RB19.

That isn’t the case though and although they have borrowed some parts from the current world champions, they’ve also gone in their own direction with some of their development.