Sato shows promise in BAR car

Takuma Sato continued progress on BAR’s ‘concept car’ on a limited day of testing at Jerez in Spain.

The Brackley-based team have introduced an interim car as they gear up towards their full 2004 machine and Japanese driver Sato was quickest of the four drivers on show.

He registered a best time of one minute 25.931 seconds from his 47 laps while English team-mate Anthony Davidson, driving last year’s car, was almost a second slower in fourth following 70 laps.

Sauber’s Felipe Massa outpaced Ferrari tester Luca Badoer by just a 10th of a second to end the morning second-quickest before heavy afternoon rain interrupted proceedings.

Testing resumes in earnest tomorrow with eight of Formula One’s 10 teams in action at Jerez. Minardi will test at Vallelunga while Jordan take a break.