14/03/2006
NEWS STORY
Super Aguri now heads to Malaysia for the second round of the 2006 Formula One World Championship following an exciting and eventful debut grand prix for the team in Bahrain.
SAF1 race drivers Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide must now acclimatise to the humid weather conditions when they arrive in Malaysia today. The circuit in Sepang, host to the Malaysian Grand Prix, features wide straights and a mixture of technical and high-speed corners which in combination with the intense heat, is extremely demanding on both driver and car alike.
Takuma Sato: "The SA05 race car had never completed more than 10 laps before we reached Bahrain this weekend. The fact that we were able to finish the race on a challenging track and in tough conditions shows that the car is reliable. Malaysia will be very physically demanding for Yuji and myself as drivers and also for the cars in the heat and humid conditions. We need to continue working hard this week so that we can start to improve in every area, but I was happy with our result in Bahrain today and I am looking forward to another solid race in Sepang next week."
Yuji Ide: "I really wanted to finish my first Formula One race but I did not get the opportunity so I really wish that I finish the race in Malaysia. I have raced in Sepang when I was driving in Formula Nippon and I like the country very much so now I am looking forward to returning there to race as a Formula One driver."
Aguri Suzuki, Team Principal: "I did not really have the time to enjoy our time in Bahrain as everything was so new to me in my role as a Formula One Team Principal, but I was extremely excited to be at the team's first race. At the Malaysian Grand Prix I hope that I will be able to relax and enjoy the race a little more, however we still have so much to learn and many improvements to make and so every single race will be a steep learning curve for us. I cannot wait for the team's second race in Malaysia next week and am very proud of what the team has been able to achieve to this point."