MELBOURNE, March 14 (Reuters) - Formula One tail-enders Super Aguri have accused rivals of scaring off potential sponsors of the team by casting doubt on the legality of their new car.
The Honda-backed team presented their controversial SA07 car at Melbourne's Albert Park circuit on Wednesday without a title sponsor.
Apart from Honda, the only prominent branding on the car was that of little-known oil and gas company SS United Group.
"They are a major sponsor, not the title sponsor," said team managing director Daniele Audetto. "With the title sponsor we had a very long negotiation, it is still going on but unfortunately we cannot close in time for the first race.
"I think the team are in quite a strong position to get two or three more big sponsors.
"It is difficult to get sponsors for a new team and it makes it even more difficult when you write and declare in the newspaper that you are not legal, that you cannot start the championship," added the Italian.
"That had a very negative impact on our ongoing negotiations.
Spyker team boss Colin Kolles has threatened legal action against Super Aguri to try and prevent them from racing what he believes is little more than a developed version of last year's race-winning Honda.
Former champions Williams have been supportive of Spyker's stance. Formula One rules say teams must design and build their own cars.
There have also been suggestions that Super Aguri and Toro Rosso, whose car has also been questioned because it shares a designer with the Red Bull RB3, should be ineligible for constructors' points.
Official scrutineering for Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix is on Thursday. Super Aguri, who failed to score any points last season, have said repeatedly that their car is legal.
"We do the best we can within the existing rules...we want to respect the rules, we don't want to cheat," said Audetto.
He said the new car had passed the mandatory crash tests, after having to repeat some, and the main objective for the season was to finish in the top 10 and become eligible for a share of television revenues and other benefits.
"Of course other teams that fear being out of the top 10 can see a potential big loss and that is the reason of this animosity," he said.
"I think that if one day all the teams get the financial benefit, all this animosity will disappear because it is just a question of money."
Super Aguri have Japan's Takuma Sato and Briton Anthony Davidson as their race drivers this yearwww.sport.guardian.co.uk
