Sato loses qualifying time.
Takuma Sato's difficult season continued when he had his qualifying time taken away for impeding Mark Webber in qualifying.
The Japanese driver had a poor lap after going off on the exit of Turn 8, and on the way back to the pits failed to realise that Webber was fast approaching on his hot lap. The BAR driver blamed his engineer Jock Clear for not giving him enough warning that the Williams was approaching.
Takuma Sato's difficult season continued when he had his qualifying time taken away for impeding Mark Webber in qualifying.
The Japanese driver had a poor lap after going off on the exit of Turn 8, and on the way back to the pits failed to realise that Webber was fast approaching on his hot lap. The BAR driver blamed his engineer Jock Clear for not giving him enough warning that the Williams was approaching.
It has not been a good day for Sato, who was fined $500 for pitlane speeding and then $1000 for a second offence in morning practice.
Sato's penalty has also given the FIA a headache as it tries to determine the grid order. He has had his time disallowed, Jacques Villeneuve didn't do a time, Michael Schumacher didn't do a time and has a 10-place penalty for an engine change, and Narain Karthikeyan didn't do a time and has had two engine changes!
Apparently even the FIA is struggling to work out how to line these guys up...
