Takuma Sato

Well I was looking in the drivers section and was surprised not to see a thread on this fellow.

So it's about blooming time this dude had his own thread!

Having driven for 3 teams in his 6 year stay in here are the teams:

2002: Jordan
2003-05: BAR Honda
06-08: Super Aguri

At Jordan he didn't have the best of times and a crash with an out of control Heidfeld at Austria was his low point. However, he did end up scoring 2 points 5 behind experienced team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella at the time. He also out qualified Fisi 4 times this season.

In 2003, Sato moved to Japanese Honda powered team BAR as a reserve/test driver. However, at his home race in Suzuka, Sato replaced Jacque Villneuve in the car and partner Jenson Button to make his race debut for the team. In 2004 he was promoted to a full-time racing driver for the team and went on to score 34 points and helped Jenson Button to claim second place in the constructors championship. In 2005 the teams fortunes changed and Sato only managed to score 1 point and was therefore given the sack by the team.

However, fear not the Honda Powered team were determined to find him a seat and they did. Hiring ex formula one driver Aguri Suzuki to run his own team in the sport a new team was born under the name of Super Aguri. Sato had many different team-mates over the first season at SA in the shape and form of Yuji Ide, Franck Montagony and Sakon Yamamoto who he beat quite handsomely. In 2007 he was joined in the team by Brit Anthony Davidson - who it turns out was wanted the season before but BAR wanted to see how SA would go first. In that year the SA car was good enough to claim points in 2 of the races and Sato collected a 8th in Spain and a 6th in Canada and at the end of the year he collected 4 points for the team. However, in 2008 the team was struggling financial and by the Turkish Grand Prix the team had called it a day and by doing so Sato's F1 career as well.

But for me Sato was a character, you either loved him or hated him. But for me I loved him. I'll always remember him for that over take on Fernando Alonso in Canada and for his crash with Schumacher at Spa.

You can now catch Sato in the IRL to keep up with his progress.

However, were you a lover or a hater of Sato?
 
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