OCTOBER 10, 2001

Pollock says goodbye to Taku

BAR boss Craig Pollock has taken the loss of Takuma Sato on the chin, the highly-rated Japanese prospect having been freed from his testing contract to race with Jordan - after winning the British Formula 3 championship with BAR junior team, Carlin Motorsport.

"When Takuma first tested for us last year his talent was immediately apparent and we were delighted to sign him as one of our test drivers this season," said Pollock.

"His excellent testing progress this year, coupled with his impressive Formula 3 Championship win, have secured him a well-deserved drive with the Honda-powered Jordan team."

Sato's last BAR appearance came in the 'Fuji TV F1 Super Run' when he and Jacques Villeneuve took F1 to the streets of Tokyo. Between them the pair appeared at the wheel of this year's BAR, a Honda S2000 sports car and the evocative 1967 Honda RA300 challenger on the waterfront in the Japanese capital.

"We are extremely happy to have helped Takuma on his way to what I'm sure will be a very successful Formula 1 career," Pollock concluded.