Want to clear up a few things about Sato...

What version do you want?

I know two, one that many people will like to hear with marketing spin and the other not so known one.

The truth lies somewhere in between.

 

Tell us both, imperial.

--Dan

 

Takuma Sato's racing debut came in 1996, the 24-year-old Japanese driver saving the money to buy himself a KART before entering the Honda school the following year. From there he has been nurtured by the engine giant and landed a fully paid drive in the All Japan Formula three Championship in 1998. However, he opted to pass this opportunity by and made the move to Europe instead.

1997
Karting Champion - Honda Suzuka Racing School Scholarship, winning a fully paid drive in the 1998 All-Japan Formula 3 Championship although did not pursue this route in favour of moving to England and racing in a British Formula.

1998
European Car racing debut at Snetterton in the Formula Vauxhall Junior Championship, graduating to Formula Opel at the end of the year, both with Diamond Racing.

1999
EFDA Formula Opel Euroseries with Diamond Racing - competed in selected rounds, winning the opening race of the season at Donington. Finished 6th place in the Championship. Moved to British F3 Championship in Class B mid-season with Diamond Racing. Ended the season by winning the AF2000 race at the Macau F3 Grand Prix meeting.

2000
British F3 - Carlin Motorsport. Victory at 4 championship races and won the Spa round of the French F3 championship. Finished 3rd in the championship.

2001
British F3 Champion - Carlin Motorsport. 12 race wins, as well as victories in the Marlboro Masters of F3 at Zandvoort and the International F3 race supporting the British Grand Prix. F1 Test Driver for British American Racing.

2002
F1 debut with Jordan Grand Prix. During the course of a dramatic season Taku scored his first Formula One World Championship points appropriately enough at Suzuka where he finished fifth after qualifying in seventh place. Against his highly rated team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella, Taku makes a strong showing and outqualified the Italian five times. Found himself on the front pages of the world’s press after an horrific crash in Austria when Nick Heidfeld speared into the side of his car.

2003
Opts to join BAR on a three-year deal, staying with the works Honda effort. First year of deal is as third driver in the team with Jacques Villeneuve and Jenson Button first choice for racing.

This is from various "official" sources.

 

Honda Honda Honda... money can buy you a f1 seat for your chosen driver, but money can't buy you F1 performance. Just ask your neighbours Toyota about it.

 

I have even more respect for the young man now. He had the door fully opened but instead choose to go on his own ... he has REAL talent IMO.

BTW: Alain Prost was nutured by the French all the way up. Senna had all the good teams until F1 where he chose to start in lesser teams to prove himself.

Nothing at all wrong with Satos career. Michael Schumacher was helped by a rich friend and Mercedes ... just the same as Sato IMO.

Pete's saying leave the guy alone ...

 

You would really enjoy this forum...
http://www.takumasato.org/forum_posts.asp?forum_id=1

and you would relate to this thread a lot
http://www.takumasato.org/post_view.asp?forum_id=1&thread_id=503

 

I was waiting for that question!!! I knew you would have the foresight to ask that.

That is the "million dollar" connection. Honda to Formula Vaxhaull to Formula Opel.

Do you see it? Or shall I spill it?

 

Imperial83,

That is not what your history post said ... he chose to take a different route not the Honda route.

Why are you not bagging MS for having Mercedes pay for his first F1 drive in the Jordan, Prost for Renault money, etc.? It is simply called sponsorship ... they all have it, even Mark Webber (Aussie yellow pages).

Even if Honda bought his toilet paper, the guy is fast ... might cause a few dramas but then that happens when you try.

Pete

 

Both Vauxhall and Opel are part of the broader General Motors Family.

Guess who has a strategic relationship in Europe with General Motors.

Drum Roll.......

Yes you guessed it!! The Honda Motor Company! General Motors has an established strategic relationship with Honda Motor Company in Europe to provide technical know how and engine knowledge for GM's Europe or Vauxhall / Opel operations.

So Takuma Sato was SPONSORED by Honda to move to Europe in order to gain more exposure. There he was strategically placed in the Formula Vauxhall series moving on to the Formula Opel Series.

As I said, the truth lies in between! My version may not help the Honda marketing spin on Sato but I say it as it is.

PS: Sorry for the double post

No that history post is what you get if you ask Takuma Sato or Honda. Their official version. Their marketing spin!

 

Well I say good move by Honda ... every driver needs as much exposure as possible.

Pete

 

Oh yes certainly!
Honda advertising ratings since Sato is the new Honda poster boy up by 100%
Honda T-shirt sales since Sato is the new Honda poster boy up by 100%
Ticket sales at Suzuka since Sato is the new Honda poster boy up by 100%

Ah but wait for it...

Sato driven BAR Honda Performance this year... hmmmm... could have been a lot better now. wonder how expensive he is for BAR (not Honda) to manage after those run ins with other drivers on the track and those, at best questionable, engine failures.

Well done Honda. Maybe one of these days (hopefully soon, for your sake) you will have a real race driver.

 

Bingo! You are exactly on the money!

 

Interestingly btw that Schumacher never really was a great go kart driver. He was good, but not a star. He developed his talent only later in Formula cars and honed his skills of nurturing a sick car and driving around problems in the Mercedes Le Mans car.

 

Yeah Tifosi, I believe old Heinz Harold used to kick his butt on a regular basis in karts! It sure didn't take long for MS to come back, and also take his girlfriend! Ya know, there are just some things you do not do to friends, and that's one of them (see Clapton/Harrison)! I still think poor HHF got the shaft in his F1 career. I think he is a fine driver.

Anyway, back on subject. Honda's sponsership of Taku is no diferent than the push for a driver from the US. It would be great to see Ford or GM to pick up the banner and support this effort. Good, bad, or great, all the US fans would be seeing Ford/GM ads with his or her face, buying t-shirts, and maybe putting a few more butts in the seats at Indy because of it. I don't see it as a bad thing if the driver is not a total disgrace. Taku has some rough edges, but is better than many on the grid.

Just my .02
Jim

 

Who said they were friends?, plus we do not know the circumstances ... might not be like we think at all.

HHF took toooooooo long to get up to race pace. Once there he was as fast as MS, but MS was long gone ... HHF was never going to be a force, he got the dream drive at Williams and failed! Good bye.

Pete

 

I think the fact that he is blocking other deserving drivers from a race seat is a disgrace. Anothy Davidson and Timo Glock come to mind immediately.

You know what the diference between a driver from the US and Sato will be. The driver from the US that eventually lands a seat in f1 will be a deserving racer and a talented driver that actually does not have those "rough edges". I am sure we could have had an undeserving US driver in F1 by throwing money at it long ago. But I am happy to say that hard work and credentials still mean something in this great land of ours!

 

Is it me, or am I sensing a true hatred for Asian drivers by some people. There was another Sato thread on this board where someone called him a "Nip". I would hate to see what some of you would do if there was a Black driver in a GM/Cadillac F1 car. There are several F1 drivers that don't do wo well from practice to qualification to the main race each week, and I've NEVER read a negative thread on them. Hummmm....figure that....

Whenever I meet up with FCar guys, there is always one in the bunch that has some nasty words for Asian cars and drivers alike.... but I guess that's how things are nowadays... (Don't want to start any arguments... just had a gut feeling and decided to post it...)

 

Esprit,

Try the ignore feature ... it is not perfect but does sort of allow you to ignore some people. Heck I'm probably on many peoples lists

But yes I agree there is definitely something ugly and racial going on with the anti-Sato comments.

I'd be proud to be doing the job Sato is. First you must be fast, everything else will come.

Pete

 

A black man driving a cadillac..... sounds pretty racist to me.........

Who would sponser said vehicle.......KOOL perhaps?

 

Gee that is a rough comment ... ... but if true then that is how it was!

Pete