Track: Suzuka
Car: Jordan EJ12
Engine: Honda V10
Car: Jordan EJ12
Engine: Honda V10
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00to Ralph Schumacher who's running in third place now this is Takuma Sato he's back into sixth place
00:05he's ahead of Jenson Button and in fact over the last lap or two he's pulled out a little more of
00:10an advantage over the Renault driver Button is now 5.7 seconds behind him yes I don't know if
00:16that's a response from Sato I think it's more from Button dropping off well this would be
00:26quite an achievement if he could take his first point of the season after what has been a tough
00:32rookie year for the Japanese driver who came in as the British Formula 3 champion of last year
00:38and we've enjoyed watching him throughout the season fantastic car control fantastic commitment
00:44could today be the day he scores his first point what a time it would be to do it yes and the first
00:49point for Sato oh and he missed the apex then just had to get out of the throttle a little bit to
00:55check the car on the exit Sato sixth place would be sufficient to put them ahead of BAR in the
01:02Manufacturers Championship the Jordan team would finish in seventh place but a fifth place in the
01:09championship might also get them into contact with Jaguar I think Jaguar probably would still stay ahead
01:15though because they had that podium in Monza but nevertheless a very very tight battle for sixth
01:21seventh and eighth in this year championship or stabilizing well let's hope he makes it to the
01:27finish she hasn't had many of those this year Kimi Raikkonen and it's nearly always been a mechanical
01:34failure that's let him down now we've got the other view of Takuma Sato looking back into the helmet
01:41this stage of the Grand Prix John only nine laps to go it is a it is a tough track so he must be feeling it by now
01:50yes but he's a very fit young man and um he's had a season of Grand Prix racing not as much testing
01:56probably as some of the other teams would have nevertheless what a race to come of age to score your first
02:02world championship point in you're safe so nice and steady look after the engine
02:05well he heard it he's been told to look after the engine and he's still pulling away from Jenson
02:12Button the gap now up to seven point and one of those was of Jarno Trulli pulling off and I wonder
02:18whether Renault have decided that whatever Trulli's problem was they do not want to see a second retirement
02:23this afternoon and they're prepared to forego challenging for sixth place in the aid to get a finish in this
02:31afternoons Grand Prix BAR Honda in the Constructors Championship it will earn Takuma Sato his first ever
02:37point but there are still eight laps to go and an awful lot's gonna happen in eight laps and you
02:42just hope that somebody hasn't pulled the pin on this Honda engine as we've seen from two others
02:47this afternoon Villeneuve and Fisichella massive blow-ups from both those Honda units so Sato under
02:54instruction from the team just to take it easy but still running up to 18,000 rpm 18,100
03:00so maybe Takuma it's difficult of course it's difficult of course for a driver in this context
03:07to back off because you lose that rhythm but one way you can back off is to reduce rpm rather than
03:14trying to slow down any other way
03:17well so far so good for him let's just remind you that up front it's still the two Ferraris
03:23Michael Schumacher 10 seconds ahead of Barrichello then Ralph Schumacher in third for Williams
03:29Raikkonen in fourth for McLaren Montoya
03:30fifth for Williams and this man Takuma Sato oh oh dear he gave me a shot there gave me one as
03:37well in the back end of the car I'm just snapped so quickly and those reactions the cat-like reactions
03:44that we've seen from Takuma Sato enormous car control he got the car back but it just shows you
03:50maybe just that slight relaxation realizing that he's not under threat from Jenson Button he's got no chance of
03:56catching Van Pablo Montoya all he has to do is now drive he's got eight laps from ending it'll be seven when
04:02he comes across the line and there are the Japanese fans you can imagine there shock horror they can see
04:08this on the wide screens all around the circuit well that was a big moment I tell you what that was a
04:13big sideways I really thought he was going off for a moment there let's take another look at it
04:16nothing obvious on the track and all of a sudden whoa I mean a fair amount of lock almost on the stops
04:22and uh still keeps the he's driven just an exemplary race absolutely as he's done all year Michael
04:29Schumacher you know in his 11th season of Grand Prix racing still up for it in a manner I've never seen
04:36any other Grand Prix driver in my knowledge of history of Formula One do and when you get into your sort
04:40of late sort of seven eight nine years in Formula One you know maybe a bit of weariness or tiredness creeps
04:47in but Michael Schumacher is focused like no other driver I've ever seen or even any other driver
04:52currently or coming into Formula One well at the other end of the scale is this man who is also going
04:59to be a true hero here today he's only in his first season of Grand Prix racing only his 17th Grand Prix is
05:07last race of the season so Takuma Sato two laps to go still pushing and he needs to be backing off at
05:17this point because there's nothing to be gained I know that's all about rhythm and keeping and focus
05:22but uh at this stage Takuma your biggest moment of your life I get out as a racing driver to get two
05:28points in your home Grand Prix and isn't it ironic that it's still unclear as to whether Jordan is going to
05:34keep Takuma Sato they have the option he is under contract with the team