DaveKillens wrote:It has to be understood what the goals of the Japanese manufacturers are. They are a proud, hard-working and enthusiastic society, and despite competing on the world stage, what they really want is for a race (and eventually title) to be won in a chassis, engine, tires and driver from Japan.
Thank you for informing us what the collective Japanese really want, deep down, in their heart of hearts.
f1.redbaron wrote:
Well, then, let's put him in a circus. Sato is quick, I'll give him that. But, I believe that he has had his chance with a top team when Honda came in second during 2004. He helped get them to that point, but most of the credit should go to Button and the car.
Then, when the things went wrong, he was let go. That is because Honda realized that in order to compete with the big teams, they cannot win unless they have a couple of the 'brand name' drivers.
Let’s take a look at the statistics. Sato’s replacement Rubens Barrichello - the much lauded, vastly more experienced former Ferrari driver - achieved in his first season with Honda 30 points and 7th in the WDC, whereas Sato achieved in his rookie year at Honda 34 points and 8th in the WDC, despite abysmal reliability from the car (four retirements due to mechanical failure that season - often while running in the points, not to mention several grid penalties for engine changes). Additionally, Sato out qualified his teammate Jenson Button eight times in spite of heavy mechanical unreliability (in one case qualifying 2nd, but dropping out due to engine failure). In comparison, Barrichello out qualified Button ten times - only two more than Sato - but had far fewer reliability issues. Compared to the vastly more experienced Barrichello, it's hard to see how Sato's performance could be criticized harshly. Consider also the well regarded Nico Rosberg who, in his rookie season, retired out of 9 of the 18 GPs, with five crashes - the last one at the 2006 Brazil GP taking out his own teammate Mark Webber. Oddly enough there appears to be no stigma surrounding Rosberg that labels him as a crasher, erratic, or dangerous, despite his accident rate being far higher than any of Sato’s seasons in F1, including Sato’s rookie year.
Sato’s 2005 season was not as good, but that was in no small part due to BAR Honda's disqualification/ban from three races because of illegal fuel tanks, physical illness (Malaysia GP), three mechanical retirements, and admittedly a few mistakes on Sato's part - but it was not as bad of a season as people make it out to be. A driver only has 18 opportunities a season to show his worth, and when your team is disqualified (by no fault of your own) for three races, and you fall ill for one, coupled with three retirements due to mechanical failure, you only have a few opportunities left. A few mistakes here and there plus a few average performances in the other races and it's all over in the shortsighted eyes of the fickle public.
Interestingly enough I’ve read several predictions prior to the start of this season that Anthony Davidson would “take Sato to school,” figuratively speaking, based on nothing more than Davidson’s impressive performances during Friday practice, while conveniently ignoring the time when Davidson and Sato were teammates in British F3, where Sato finished the season with a record-setting number of wins. Thus far Davidson has yet to “take Sato to school,” with Sato out-qualifying and out-finishing Davidson 3 to 1 (excluding mechanical failures). This is not to detract from Davidson’s ability – I have a great deal of respect for him and am glad to see him in a race seat (I’m sure he will improve as the season progresses) – but it illustrates how many people consistently belittle and underestimate Sato for some unknown reasons. Many seem to be quick to criticize but slow to praise. It seems as though his good performances can do nothing to redeem him from his few mistakes, which all racecar drivers have made at one point or another.
I think that Sato will continue to perform well and continue to prove his critics wrong. It remains to be seen whether people will come to recognize and respect his talent and focus on the positives, or continue to turn a blind eye and perpetuate what I feel is an unwarranted negative stigma.
