Sato Delighted with First F1 Front Row

BAR-Honda driver Takuma Sato expressed his delight at claiming a maiden front row qualifying berth after securing second place on the grid for Sunday's European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring.

Sato claimed the best ever qualifying position for a Japanese driver when he finished 0.635 seconds down on World Champion Michael Schumacher, who took a dominant pole position for Ferrari.

The BAR driver had set the pace in the first qualifying session and was delighted to turn his form into a front row qualifying position, beating his previous best of third for the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this month.

"Luckily the track conditions stayed similar between qualifying sessions and I am very delighted to be here," said Sato, who suffered disappointment in Monaco a week ago when engine failure forced him to retire early in the race.

"After qualifying third in Barcelona I wanted to be on the front row. We are quite up the grid this year and I am looking forward to fighting tomorrow. I am delighted today. The team have done a fantastic job and today we achieved what we wanted and I'm looking forward to going side by side with the competitors."

Sato's teammate Jenson Button, who started from the head of the grid in San Marino in April, was left disappointed after he claimed he missed out on pole because of a lack of grip during his run.

Button, who will begin from fifth, said: "I thought we would easily be on the front row and on pole. We have been strong here but I just had a lack of grip and I'm disappointed because I thought we would be up there.

"All of the way round I just had a lack of grip. But Taku did a great job. It is good for the team to be on the front row but it is a pity I'm not up there as well."