Team chief says BAR can take on top teams

TEAM chief David Richards is convinced BAR can challenge the top three teams next season as long as they get their reliability record sorted out.

The Honda-powered outfit snatched fifth place in the constructors' championship last season after Jenson Button finished fourth and Takuma Sato took sixth spot in the final race in Japan.

Richards is confident BAR can make further progress when the 2004 campaign gets underway next March, with Button joined full-time by Sato, who has replaced former world champion Jacques Villeneuve.

"When you look back on a season you tend to focus on the good points and the high spots of the year," said Richards, whose team finished on 26 points 62 less than fourth-placed Renault.

"But in reflecting on the year I have to really focus on our shortcomings and some of the reliability issues that we have to tackle. For each one there are good lessons that have been learnt on our side and Honda's side.

"There are some significant steps to be made and no one should delude themselves that there is not a big gap to make up, but if we can maintain the progress we have made over the last two years over the winter we can challenge the top three teams in 2004.

"Honda are working on the engine, the rules are changing and I think they should favour us, so I look forward to next year with great enthusiasm.

"We never expected this to be an easy challenge and I think this year just serves to reinforce that."

Meanwhile, Brazil's Felipe Massa has been officially confirmed by Sauber as their second driver alongside Giancarlo Fisichella next season.

Team chief Peter Sauber had admitted at the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix earlier this month that he had re-signed Massa to form an all-new driver line-up in 2004, but the confirmation only came yesterday after a two-year contract was agreed.

Massa competed for the Swiss-based team in 2002 but after being replaced at the end of his maiden season moved to Ferrari to spend this year as a test driver.

"My year as a Ferrari test driver has been of great value to me, and I've learnt a lot," said the 22-year-old. "Naturally, though, my goal has been to drive races again."