Super Aguri sign all Japanese driver line up.

[evooo]

how many competitive races has sato had in how many years of competitive driving?
also as relevant as it may (or may not be), didn't he completely dominate f3?

a diamond in the rough but needs a lot of polishing!

o/t: wat happened to takagi and also esteban tuero?

[marcus]

Originally Posted by Bononi

I guess he is. Before him, Ukio Katayama was the most successful with 5 points... IIRC

Close but Mr Suzuki himself has scored 8 championship points.

anyway we are splitting hairs i think as none of them have lived up to expectations , hopefully the whole team does well

[shambles]

Well Sato - as we know had limited racing experience. So to have got where he got to, and to perform like he did - was no fluke. Despite the backing from Honda, he needed some talent I presume to have attracted such backing - and he did a fine job in F3 2001. On paper, he is the most successful Japanese GP driver. Fact. But, as he evooo said - he needs polishing.

[Ryo28]

Originally Posted by marcus

Close but Mr Suzuki himself has scored 8 championship points.

anyway we are splitting hairs i think as none of them have lived up to expectations , hopefully the whole team does well

In the interest of more hair splitting Satoru Nakajima scored 16 points in his F1 career (and got fastest lap in the 1989 Australian GP)

[neilap]

Originally Posted by Ryo28

In the interest of more hair splitting Satoru Nakajima scored 16 points in his F1 career (and got fastest lap in the 1989 Australian GP)

I think its Sato's podium and points combined in F1 that has made him the most successful in F1.

If he gets into the points again with SAF1 he may be crowned king!

[shambles]

The thing we'd need to calculate, was what Sato would score under the old points systems

[speedfreek]

Originally Posted by marcus

how is sato the most succesfull japanese driver ever ???

not questioning (ok I am) but just confused as to how or where that statement came from ?

He is on a points basis and the only Japenese guy to get a poduim IIRC in the US gp 2003 or 2004.

F1 racing had an article bout it a while ago.

[Sato san]

Taku totally shined in his career pre Formula 1 and more or less eveything he raced, although even then he always had his own way of doing things and sometimes he ended up worse off rather than on the top step . From Vauxhall Jr and F3 National Class to multiple race wins in F3 with a championship title and a superb Macau win when he really had no need to go there as he already had a signed Jordan F1 drive securley in his pocket .That realy needs to be remembered i think , but he still went to Macau in 2001 and won it , that is because he is a racer at heart , and not a driver like many now days that put the career ladder first . If he had been hurt at Macau in Nov 2001 , he had a awful lot to lose with F1 drive already secure for 2002 . That is one of the reasons as well as the Podium etc that he had in F1 that he is probally one of the best from Japan .

Now in saying that , it cant be denied that he has very much under performed in F1 so far , although to be honest there is so much rubbish written about him wrecking everything he drives etc that plainly is totally incorrect , but mud sticks and it had surley has with him alot .

It will be interesting to see how he fairs at Super Aguri , The fact he didnt get anywhere near the results that he clearly had got the pace to achieve at BAR has always made me wonder if the BAR team just didnt suit him with it so clearly being directed around Button so much like it was . Maybe Super Aguri team will give him the edge back again that he needs in his driving to get it back to the level he is capable of .

Taku is a terrific driver , his attitide to racing is proballty one of the best on the whole grid . He believes in motor RACING , with the point being made that he wants to race , he isnt the kind of driver to play follow my leader for the whole race like so many other are ( sometimes to his detriment ) .... for me he was a breath of fresh air in Formula 1 in 2002 and i hope Super Aguri give him the attention that maybe he needs to really shine like he can , he is very quick and natural talent but has very much lacked good consistency in F1 which is a shame and i hope that the abbience that Super Aguri provide will help that to be corrected .

[marcus]

DOH , forgot about Nakajima LOL , he was great in the wet wasnt he

and actually again Aguri Suzuki was the first japanese to stand on the podium Japan 1990 (what a great podium that was (Piquet , Moreno , Suzuki )

I like Sato , I think he is good value but of course like most drivers he needs more consistancy and hopefully that will come this year , allthough it will be tough

[Jordi]

So, yeah, Sato is the most successful Japanese driver. But also, he's had better cars than most, with the exception of Nakajima-san.
Perhaps Suzuki, Katayama or Nakano could have done better. Wasn't Aguri's podium on a Larrousse or something? Certainly no Lotuses or BARs that Satoru and Taku have driven...

[shambles]

That is true Jordi, but doesn't the fact that these guys you mention never got a top seat, say something as well. I know Sato has substansial Honda backing, but why did he get Honda backing in the first place? Because he is good.

[marcus]

Well Aguri Suzuki has Honda backing now

[ohazamiizugahar]

Just after Takuma's leaving BAR Honda there were a lot of claim for Honda from Japanese.
Honda had to search for Takuma' s F1 seat.
Aguri has a good relationship with Honda for long time.
He uses Honda engines for IRA, Formula Nippon, Super GT.

[Suze]

Originally Posted by marcus

Well Aguri Suzuki has Honda backing now

heh true. i like this japanese way of marketing things though

[ECW Dan Selby]

haha Yeah i've liked the sound of it thus far. Very passionate.

Selby

[safc_fan89]

I think it will be interesting to see how Super Aguri does this season. I expect nothging from them, especially as their driver lineup doesn't look great (Sato is not really good enough, and this other one I know little about), but it would be good if they could at least be near the other cars, something I don;t see happening really.

[Suze]

Sato would / is good in a lower series. imo he is not f1 material. but i think it's a good thing no-one will expect much from the aguri thing - from where i'm sitting anyway, it's a case of watch and just see.

[safc_fan89]

If they just trail around at the back of the grid, there's no point in them taking part. That's why I hope to see them punch above their weight.

[Suze]

no, course not - but it will be interesting to see if they can do any better than trail around at the back of the grid

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by safc_fan89

If they just trail around at the back of the grid, there's no point in them taking part. That's why I hope to see them punch above their weight.

Unfortunately someone has to be at the back of the pack.

[Suze]

yes, but there's a differene between being at the back and being competetive and trailing around at the back waaaay behind everyone else!

[BootsOntheSide]

Sato should be competitive with everyone else, although Ide might struggle at first with so little testing.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Yeh agreed. Sato can really mix it up when he wants to. It's just those criticle errors he needs to do something about.. lol

Selby