Sayonara Sato-san: A tribute to Takuma - Part 3

By Phil Huff
November 27 2005

Takuma Sato started 2004 as a full-time race driver for BAR Honda, and proved his worth in securing the points so badly needed by the team. Here's part three of our 'Tribute to Takuma', presenting the best images of a successful year.

With the launch of the 2004 car taking place in Barcelona, Taku takes some time to tour the sights.


The next day he's on stage, confirmed as one of the teams race drivers for the season.


Just a few hours later he's out on track, putting the new BAR Honda 006 through its paces.


Despite strong pre-season testing, the debut at Melbourne showed just how far off the pace every team was from Ferrari. A ninth place finish, just outside the points, was the conclusion for a difficult race for Takuma.


An engine failure in the late stages of a difficult Malaysian race prevented Sato from scoring points, but the pace of the BAR Honda was better.


Sixth on the grid and fifth in the race - Sato brings home points in the inaugural Bahrain event. 


A great San Marino race from Takuma that went unnoticed to those on the outside, with suspension and electrical problems holding him back to eighth. A late Honda failure took that away, too.


Starting the Spanish Grand Prix from third, tyre degradation problems pushed Sato back to fifth by the end, but that's another four points.


What a way to end the Monaco GP! A massive engine failure shrouded the tight circuit in smoke, leaving other drivers in the wall, striking each other, and even upside down.


Another race, another engine failure. ITV's Driver of the Day performed well at the Nurburgring, but the Japanese driver was forced out after trying to force his way past Barrichello.


After struggling in qualifying, Sato tried something different in Canada, but to no avail. With other drivers (inadvertently) holding Taku up at the start, 10th was the best he could manage.


Fantastic! Just fantastic! Takuma used the USA event to become just the second Japanese driver to stand on an F1 podium. Despite poor strategy holding him back, a dogged fight saw Sato beaten by only the season-long dominant Ferrari's.


It was back to Earth with a bump for Sato in France, as another engine failure forced him out after just 15 laps.


And life didn't get any better in Britain, with 11th being as good as it got following the return to form of McLaren, and improved pace from Jaguar and Sauber. 


Blind panic. Hockenheim proved eventful for Sato, with a painful shoulder, a loose HANS device, the banning of BAR Honda's FTT device, and a race spin because he couldn't see where he was going! Eight place was at least some reward for enduring all that.


Third in the grid, despite a heavy fuel load, was great, but the race wasn't - Hungary's tight nature conspired against Sato on the first lap, losing him a shed load of places. A Plucky drive rescued sixth, and three points.


An eventful event in Belgium left Sato on the sidelines early on, the victim of misguided Webber.


Third and fourth for BAR at Monza, Takuma's drive helped secure BAR Honda's best ever finish!


Another engine failure, a 10 place penalty, and the new Shanghai circuit, yet Taku still managed to bring home three valuable points, further extending the teams lead over Renault.


He did it again! A fourth place finish, to Jenson's third, again secured a massive points haul at Japan - Sato's home race has always been kind to him, and that continued in 2004.


The final race and it's BAR vs Renault for second in the championship. The Brazilian GP delivered tension by the bucket full, but Sato's race from sixth on the grid to sixth at the end doesn't sound as exciting as it was. Still, it's more points. 


At the end of the season, Sato helped secure second for BAR Honda in the Constructors Championship, and finished an impressive eighth overall in the Drivers Championship. His haul of 34 points, despite six engine failures and one forced retirement, proved invaluable, and showed that Taku's got the raw pace to deliver. Roll on 2005....