Sato Upbeat after Quick Start

BAR-Honda's Takuma Sato sounded confident after topping the times in second practice for the Canadian Grand Prix.

The Japanese driver responded to World Champion Michael Schumacher after the Ferrari driver threw down the gauntlet in the opening session with a lap of 1:14.013. Sato, however, replied with the fastest time in the afternoon of 1:14.086.

"We have had a good day today and I'm very pleased about the result we had today," said Sato, who started from the front row in the last race. "The circuit had much less grip in the morning but the afternoon improved a lot, so we were able to do a competitive run this afternoon.

"Generally we had good pace and the improvement that the new engine brings is very promising for the rest of the weekend. This circuit is quite tough on the brakes but we're not experiencing any issues so far and we don't feel we have anything to worry about."

BAR, with Briton Jenson Button on the podium five times this year, are expected to be Ferrari's closest challengers at the island circuit in the St Lawrence river. Button did not have such a good day as Sato, the Briton finishing in eighth place.

"We haven't really been able to find a good balance today, which is disappointing because the car is looking very encouraging," said Button. "We have a lot of work to do tonight with the tyre options and to decide how to get the best result in qualifying. But we're not just here to qualify well; we're looking for a good race result.

"So it's a little bit disappointing that we're slightly off-track, but it's nothing that can't be overcome overnight and we should have a more positive day tomorrow. The Ferraris are looking very consistent again so I think we have a fight on our hands, but that's what we're here for."