Midland F1 offers Sato a 2006 deal
Friday October 21 2005
Takuma Sato could return to Jordan next year after team boss Colin Kolles revealed that the team, which will run under the Midland name in 2006, has offered Sato a contract.
Sato made his F1 debut with Jordan in 2002, however, after a season marred by crashes, he moved to BAR and acted as their test driver before making the switch to full-time race driver in 2004.
Sato, though, failed to match his team-mate Jenson Button’s performances during his two years as a BAR driver and has therefore been given the boot in favour of Rubens Barrichello for 2006.
But that doesn’t mean his F1 career is over.
Not only is a mystery Honda-powered team believed to be interested in signing the Japanese driver, but so to is the new Midland team, who will take over Jordan next year after billionaire Alex Shnaider bought that team last January.
"Takuma has the contract, so now the ball is in his court," Kolles told Autosport magazine.
"If he wants to sign it, he could be a Midland driver next year.
"We offered him the contract in Brazil and we are still waiting to hear."
And although Sato isn’t saying which of the two teams he’s more likely to join, he has admitted that he’s determined to remain in F1 next season.
"Whether it's a new team or an existing team, I'm determined to race in 2006 anyway," he told reporters at the season-ending Chinese Grand Prix last weekend.
"I've got to believe in my heart 100 percent. But you never know until you get a contract.
"If the new team doesn't happen we are still in contact with existing teams and there are still possibilities. I have to choose what is the best option for me in 2006."
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Originally Posted by jorismo
