Sato to Toyota?

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whiplash
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Joined: 07 Mar 2006, 14:45
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Toyota will build for the future and possibily bring in Kazuki Nakajima from Williams to take Ralfs seat they could do worse he has proved to be Quick and the Japanese public and sponsors would love him

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ConsFW
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Joined: 24 Jul 2006, 23:25

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So did anyone watch the Canadian Gran Prix? Sato - in his Super Aguri - put a pass on Raikonnen in the middle stages of the race, and in the closing laps, passed Alonso! :o :D Go underdogs! 8)

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Ciro Pabón
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Ciro

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ConsFW
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Ciro Pabón wrote:Isn't Kimi who is going to Toyota? :twisted:

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_ ... t_id=31824
:D Actually I seriously doubt Sato will go to Toyota. I think it's just one more of those wild rumors. I think he's in a great team as it is - Super Aguri seem to be close-knit group of passionate racers who have more than compensated for their modest budget with their heart and determination.

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pRo
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Ciro Pabón wrote:Isn't Kimi who is going to Toyota? :twisted:
Seems like everyone is going to Toyota these days, some magazine was also suggesting that Alonso and Kovalainen would go to Toyota next year. :lol: They must have some pretty japanese massagers, cause the car sure isn't that appealing for top drivers. :twisted:
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modbaraban
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No chance for Alonso and Kovalainen... both Toyota seats are already occupied by Kimi and Hamilton for 2008 (with Michael Schumacher as a 3rd driver).

Toyota are already topping the lists at Silverstone.

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Tom
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I'm looking through an old pre-season program (2002) and its got alot of hype about Toyota joining the circus, how they want to be in a position to win races by the end of 2004, win championships by 2006 etc, but also about how Frenzen went to a Toyota test in '01 while he was driving for Jordan running Honda Mugen engines. Heinz Harold was sacked for this because a Honda driver going to a Toyota test is apparently a huge deal in Japan, on this evidence I really can't see Sato moving on or Toyota taking him.
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F1 Observer
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Sato has been recently linked with a move to Toyota,which I find unlikely to say the least, once Sato san is heavily linked with japanese rivals Honda...If it wasn't for Honda, through tuning company Mugen, Sato would have never entered F1 in the first place.I'm not sure Honda will let him go due to contract issues, marketing issues and his latest on track performances...

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checkered
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Joined: 02 Mar 2007, 14:32

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Honda and SA will

have exactly the same car from 2008 onwards, if some reports are to be believed. Seeing that SA is actually ahead of Honda in the WCC standings at this point, I'm not sure if Sato views these sort of plans as positive or negative :lol: . But seriously, giving Sato a seat in F1 wasn't the least consideration by any means when SA was set up. Basically, tens of millions have been spent to keep him racing ... and he would reward the investors by jumping ship and into the arms of their worst domestic competitor?! C'mon ... you know better than that. Honda/SA and Sato are basically joined at the hip.

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Spencifer_Murphy
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Just thinking about what Ciro said. I seriously doubt that Ferrari will sack Kimi...

BUT, if they did only two teams have the money & the need / want for a driver of his calibre. Red Bull & Toyota. So if Ralf goes west, and Kimi is sacked. Well you do the maths (seeing as Toyota, who paying Ralf THAT much, obviously are not.) :lol:

Its a VERY VERY long shot. But...to quite a Murray-ism; anything can happen in F1 and it usually does.

Anything, even a 22year old Rookie leading the championship after 7races ahead oh his reigning back-to-back double world champion team-mate who recently ended Schumi's "reign of terror".

Or Quick Nick actually living up to his name for the first time in a while.

Or a driver as brutally quick as the "Iceman" joining the Scuderia and being outperformed by Felipe Massa, who, until recently was regarded as generally quick, but not much of a threat.
(Who then signs for Toyota after they realise they've been wasting money on Ralf)

A bit more within the realms of reality though, peronally I think Sato won't want to leave SA, also I think Aguri Suzuki won't want him to go either. The team, and him, seem to be happy together. I watched Sato in F3 in 2001, and thought "This guy HAS to get an F1 drive soon." to my delight he did, and to my dismay he had trouble keeping the car on the blackstuff. From the second half of 2006 onwards Sato - for the first time since his F3 Championship Year in 2001 - has been driving to his full potential. Super Aguri must have been pivotal in this, and I doubt very much he'll leave them anytime soon.

One more thing, Kimi to Toyota would be almost as worthless as Ralf staying there. Kimi's fast, blindingly so. But what Toyota need is a good car, and Kimi being Kimi, won't help them one bit in developing it, putting it blankly, he can't be bothered. Kimi's a driver of a strange mould...plug him in and watch him fly. Just don't expect more than that. And personally if I were paying him $51m a year I'd expect FAR more then that for my money.

What Toyota need is a driver with Experiance aplently, a reasonable turn of speed, and the ability and want to help the team in developing a car. What they need is a DC, a Rubens or a Fisi.

Sato to Toyota wont happen, Kimi to Toyota isn't worth happening. DC will see out his career at Red Bull...but interesting to note is that both Fisi & Jense's future at their respective teams has come under some scurity at late. I wouldn't be suprised if Jense went to Toyota (he's made stupider moves!) or Fisi might want to pull a Ralf and gently dwindle into retirement.

My money's on Fisi or Jense to replace Ralf at Toyota in 2008.
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