Formula 1 news

Sato to walk away from BAR

Takuma Sato will walk away from BAR after the team gave him the chop as race driver, his manager Andrew Gilbert-Scott says. Gilbert-Scott said the only point of staying on as a test, reserve or 'Friday' driver would be for the possibility of returning to the top job.

"Obviously there are two race drivers on long-term contracts," he told Reuters, "so we want to move forward."

Sato, the often erratic Japanese driver who has struggled to keep up with Jenson Button this year, was strongly supported by BAR co-owner Honda. It is suggested that BAR is now under pressure to keep Sato in the team, particularly as the only real option for Sato is the Toyota-powered 'Midland' team.

But Gilbert-Scott said Sato's priorities are to race elsewhere on the F1 grid. "I'm not looking at America or anything else," said the manager. "I'm hoping, I'm optimistic."

BAR CEO Nick Fry, meanwhile, maintained on Thursday that the Brackley based team is working with Gilbert-Scott to "help with (Sato's) future. But we don't know what that will be. "We want to help make sure he can have a good future."

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