Sato praises Super Aguri's effort

The Japanese team, a last-minute entry for the 2006 championship, faced a race against time to start testing with their SA05 car, which is based on the 2002 Arrows A23.

After an initial shakedown in Great Britain, the Leafield-based squad made their first public outing yesterday.

The test was not without problems, however, as Sato first stopped on track after just three laps following a hydraulics failure. The Japanese driver then spun in the wet track, managing only eight laps on a day where the team were only aiming to check the car's systems.

Despite the difficult start, Sato believes the team's effort to get the car ready for the first test was praiseworthy.

"After all the effort put by the team, and the shakedown in the UK, it is so pleasing to be here," Sato told autosport.com at the end of his test.

"What I ran today is not the final package, so I really cannot say much about the feeling. Unfortunately the hydraulic pressure went down so I could not run as much as I would like have liked.

"Also the radio was not working properly. I could hear but they could not hear me, so it was a systems check. I saw how it was with the brakes and also with the steering. The team has some experienced people but it is still fairly new.

"I would like to give a big applause to the team for having run today."

The team will start the season with their current car, revised to meet 2006 regulations, but plan to introduce their own SA06 once the championship reaches Europe. It is believed the car could be ready for the Spanish Grand Prix, the fifth round of the championship, at the earliest.

With that in mind, Sato is under no illusions for the start of the year.

"It will be very hard," Sato added. "The 2006 package is not ready yet, this car was built in such a short space of time so the performance is not expected to be so good, so I really look forward to the new car."

Sato, who was left without a drive after parting ways with the BAR team last year, will race alongside compatriot Yuji Ide, who is making his debut at the wheel of a Formula One car today.

Sato backed Super Aguri's decision to sign two Japanese drivers.

"As far as Ide is concerned, we have never raced together," said Sato. "It is quite a nice idea to have a pairing of Japanese drivers, although he will have to learn some tracks this year, which may not be so easy."