Sato to do well at Barcelona...

[Senna 0]

From F1central.net:

While team-mate Jenson Button collected the plaudits and tag as 'Formula One's next superstar,' Takuma Sato quietly got on with the job of getting up to speed.

But now, the Japanese says he's ready to take his BAR to the podium, too.

'We've done so well in Barcelona during winter testing,' he said on Monday.

'And now we've even got more improvements to the car for this race.'

Honda has taken another small step on the Formula One engine and technical director Geoff Willis has overseen a development of the Imola aero package.

Shuhei Nakamoto, Honda's engineering director and a Sato fan, hinted that the Circuit de Catalunya might be the scene of BAR's 'first victory' this Sunday.

'We've got high hopes,' said the Japanese.

Sato, meanwhile, enthused about the aero-revisions for Spain.

'It's another step,' he noted. 'We think it'll give us more grip for the quick corners. I think, personally, I can work towards a good result for that race.'

[amjay 0]

GO sato GO...

hihi... i think he will do well in spain but i doubt he will get on the podium.... if he does then well i think tht would lay to rest the sato critics.... and i i dun really think BAR can win this race coz i still see ferrari a step or two ahead of them on any circuit ....

[Senna 0]

GO sato GO...

hihi... i think he will do well in spain but i doubt he will get on the podium.... if he does then well i think tht would lay to rest the sato critics.... and i i dun really think BAR can win this race coz i still see ferrari a step or two ahead of them on any circuit ....

Sato will only convince his critics of his potential as an F1 driver if he manages, at least, to match Button. It doesn’t matter where Sato finishes but where he finishes and performs in relation to Jenson Button. That is of course assuming that Sato does finish…

[C.A.L. 0]

This race is crucial for BAR and more so for Sato. This track is one everyone knows so he will not have any reason to hide behind I did not know the track excuse.

Its up to Sato and the BAR Honda team to get the optimum performance results and to me a 5th is minimum of a result with the BAR's pontential.

After this it will be against Sato heavily as the Renault & Williams Teams will out point BAR now no matter How well Button does. BAR needs a good driver to battle the point generation of those two teams and Sato needs to step up in more ways than one to defend against it or it will be 4th in the WCC for BAR.

I am looking to Williams come through big time this race with both drivers doing well. Renault will be there with their reliability collecting points , everyone else of McLaren/Jaguar etc will be point nibbling at best.

[hollywood2003 0]

If BAR does continue with its steady improvement, I can see that the second seat next to JB next year may be more highly sought after than people first thought. Will DC and RS etc be competing for the BAR seat over a move to Toyota, I would think they would be mad not to!!

[nojvnof1 0]

This race is crucial for BAR and more so for Sato. This track is one everyone knows so he will not have any reason to hide behind I did not know the track excuse.

Its up to Sato and the BAR Honda team to get the optimum performance results and to me a 5th is minimum of a result with the BAR's pontential.

After this it will be against Sato heavily as the Renault & Williams Teams will out point BAR now no matter How well Button does. BAR needs a good driver to battle the point generation of those two teams and Sato needs to step up in more ways than one to defend against it or it will be 4th in the WCC for BAR.  

I am looking to Williams come through big time this race with both drivers doing well. Renault will be there with their reliability collecting points , everyone else of McLaren/Jaguar etc will be point nibbling at best.

Yep agree with you there. I think if Sato isn't consistanly within at least .3 of a sec within Button over the weekend, he's confirmed his status as joke. They have performed very well at this track in testing, Sato included, now it's up to him to perform in the qualifying AND the race.

[webber 0]

yea if hes not fast here then hes got no chance out side or Japan. but hes not super slow its just that JB is doing what MW has done to all of his team mates

[Taku 0]

i am confident that sato will do enough to justify his place on the team to all his doubters, for now at least...

should be a good race.

[Taku 0]

look out for alonso to do well tho. remember last year?

[Senna 0]

Renault’s weak engine might hurt Alonso’s chance to shine at Barcelona…as for Sato, he’s an absolute joke and if he doesn’t get a good result this weekend he will effectively convince everyone in the paddock that he is an utterly hopeless driver – read this weeks Autosport magazine for an article about each major team having only one and a half drivers for more information…

[C.A.L. 0]

Barcelona I think is a Renault chassis type track so me thinks Renault will be pushing any effort from Sato to the limit, in fact depending on the Fuel level the Renaults run the 1st stint with they should be both ahead of Sato.

Everyone knows the track and therefor I doubt Aloseone/Coultard will be having their stumble-bum qualifing efforts ...which will put Sato further back.

(What about Kimi ?)

Sato's defence will be running a tad lighter to keep ahead of them, but I think even Rubens discovered the hardships of being behind traffic last race and more drivers of the tight 4-7th grid starters will be keenly aware of how they will run their 1st-2nd stints.

Richards must be preparing another quick-fix Golf pointer set for Sato.

Will it rain ?

[webber 0]

and dont forget that the renault engine in very easy on the fule wile the new Honda is a petrol drinker. so sato will have to have a lot more fule in Quli to keep up with them Renaults. hay it will be good to see satos aggrevise stile into the first turn. lets hope that the 2004 spain GP is as good as the 2003 race

[climber49 0]

Stand aside all you doubters!

Takuma Sato (possibly the GREATEST Grand Prix driver of the Modern era) will be ON THE PODIUM!

One side M$, Out of the way Britney,........ The BIG DOG's comin' through!!!

[amjay 0]

GO sato GO...

hihi... i think he will do well in spain but i doubt he will get on the podium.... if he does then well i think tht would lay to rest the sato critics.... and i i dun really think BAR can win this race coz i still see ferrari a step or two ahead of them on any circuit ....

Sato will only convince his critics of his potential as an F1 driver if he manages, at least, to match Button. It doesn

[Taku 0]

go sato!

i for one am looking forward to this race immensely! i predict m$ and montoya to take each other out at the first turns and then sato to inherit the lead. from there it's a dogfight for the first non-m$ race win of 2004..

8)

[C.A.L. 0]

Button swirled a bit and lost his qualifying run to be way back , but I think he will worm his way up to get back into the points.

NOW ITS UP TO SATO ! He has to put this race together for himself and the Team ! Qualified well even had Button put up a good position on the grid.

Question is now HOW light of a fuel load did Sato run with ....10 laps or less?

Can Sato not crash in the 1st turn or the 1st stint ?

Will his car hold together and not bust down with 3 laps to go ?

Sato will do great to get a podium ....finishing out of the top 5 is the SH*TS !

[webber 0]

sato is not goning to get the podem he will finsh 5th or 6th

[Taku 0]

sato is not goning to get the podem he will finsh 5th or 6th

based on the way he fell back form a great start at imola, you'd think that the same might happen at barcelona. but at imola he was unhappy with his quali set-up (ride-height too high and suspension troubles), so i think it will be a diff story at barcelona cos he is obviously happy with the set-up from the get-go. this will be a very promising race for sato with a front-seat view of the m$-monty battle...can't wait!

[nojvnof1 0]

Well done to Sato. He's been up there with and ahead of Button all weekend and kept his nerve, unlike Button and performed brilliantly in quali. Now all he needs to do is make a good start and get some points. He's shut me up for sure, to an extent, we'll see how he goes in the race before i'll comment further. But anyways, he had to deliver here, and he has done so far with an exceptional quali and a time in saturday practice 2 yesterday fastest of the whole weekend. Good luck to him. A podium is up for grabs and maybe, dare I say it, a win if JPM and M$ have each other off in turn one. Hope he does well for you Taku!!

[Taku 0]

Well done to Sato. He's been up there with and ahead of Button all weekend and kept his nerve, unlike Button and performed brilliantly in quali. Now all he needs to do is make a good start and get some points. He's shut me up for sure, to an extent, we'll see how he goes in the race before i'll comment further. But anyways, he had to deliver here, and he has done so far with an exceptional quali and a time in saturday practice 2 yesterday fastest of the whole weekend. Good luck to him. A podium is up for grabs and maybe, dare I say it, a win if JPM and M$ have each other off in turn one. Hope he does well for you Taku!!  

thanks bud! :wink:

it's good to see you have an unbiased, yet critical eye, and can see sato's performance so far as what it has been. it's fair to say that sato has so far done the business with the pressure truly on.

5 and a bit hours before the ch 10 coverage. let's hope they cross straight to martin & james, before the lights go out this time!

[nojvnof1 0]

No worries mate. Hopefully Big Brother doesn't run overtime and the coverage actually starts at 10.30!! I don't really care when they cross so long as we get the pictures I'm happy.

[C.A.L. 0]

Sato = 5th J.P.M. dropped out ....5th was the bare minimum. He got that , & Button wormed his way back into the points (barely)

Now its alll down hill for Sato and BAR ...Renault took big points where Button or some other drivers would of normally took that away.

Bar is doomed to 4th

[Sato 0]

GO sato GO...

hihi... i think he will do well in spain but i doubt he will get on the podium.... if he does then well i think tht would lay to rest the sato critics.... and i i dun really think BAR can win this race coz i still see ferrari a step or two ahead of them on any circuit ....

Sato will only convince his critics of his potential as an F1 driver if he manages, at least, to match Button. It doesn

[Sato 0]

sato is not goning to get the podem he will finsh 5th or 6th

Good call

[amjay 0]

sato is not goning to get the podem he will finsh 5th or 6th

Good call

yea good call but i think he would have done better if he he had better pit stops...