Formula One news

Sato: It's going to be a tough year

The Super Aguri team has been unable to join the rest of the Formula 1 teams in the last two weeks of testing in Spain. The Japanese team is suffering from financial difficulties but according to Takuma Sato the team will be back in action next week in Jerez.

"It has been a tough winter for the team because of the financial difficulties," said Sato. "It's amazing that we're already at the end of January. We will soon fly to Australia. Normally at this time we'd be in the middle of our testing schedule, but we haven't even run properly this year. We did a few tests at the end of last year, but that was like a case study to get to learn the new standard ECU system."

Sato furthermore said about the situation within the team: "I've been working very closely with Super Aguri since day one, more than two years ago when the team started, so I know how hard Aguri-san and the team have been working to get financial support from sponsors and investors. We've always had great support from Honda and of course without them nothing would have been possible. Throughout my career I have tried to reflect Honda's famous challenging spirit and I am proud to be part of their determination to succeed. "

The Super Aguri team will be unable to start the 2008 season with a new chassis. Sato explained: "We'll be using an interim car to start with, and we probably won't have the fully updated car until the last Barcelona test. Then I hope we can bring along the whole new package to Melbourne for the first race, the Australian Grand Prix. We're expecting a tough fight at the beginning of the season, but we're still motivated. It's obviously very frustrating but the staff, the engineers and mechanics are all working hard.

"Because of the financial situation, last year we had to stop our development in the middle of the season, but this time I believe that, after a tough start, we can get to a point where we'll be more competitive than we were in either of the last two years. I really want to be able to fight for positions to the very last race. I'm doing a lot of training now - I'm physically, mentally fully ready and confident and really looking forward to going racing."

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