Sunday October 13th, 2002

By Alan Baldwin

Two points was all it took for Takuma Sato to upstage Michael Schumacher today and light up Eddie Jordan's eyes with dollar signs.

After a debut Formula One year heavy in accidents and light on success, the Japanese driver came good with a fine fifth place in a season-ending home Grand Prix won by Ferrari's World Champion.

The precious points lifted his Jordan team ahead of British American Racing and Jaguar to sixth in the standings - an improvement that translates into hard cash when revenues are distributed.

They were the 25-year-old's first points in Formula One and the first by a Japanese since Shinji Nakano twice finished sixth for Prost in 1997. The 155,000 strong crowd went crazy, chanting their hero's name and blasting air horns in the stands as dusk fell at the circuit.

When the driver saw Jordan, he sprinted over to him and leaped into the delighted Irishman's arms before being surrounded by a scrum of Japanese journalists. Jordan's relief was evident.

"It makes a big difference. Eighth is not somewhere where Jordan would like to be ... we had to fight for sixth. It wasn't a great season, but it was a great ending," said the Irishman happily.

Asked whether the two points were worth a couple of million dollars, he replied: "At least."

Hidden Talent

"I have to admit I didn't expect Takuma to come here and qualify seventh and finish fifth," said Jordan. "He drove a perfect race and showed the talent I've been telling everyone about."

Schumacher was happy to share the moment.

"The Japanese fans have two winners, with me winning the grand prix and Sato taking his first points in his home Grand Prix," the World Champion said.

Sato's success came after his Italian teammate Giancarlo Fisichella blew his Honda engine just before the formation lap and had to switch hurriedly to the spare. But he kept his cool to the end.

"Unbelievable. Really incredible," he said, struggling to express himself despite near-faultless English acquired through years of living and racing in Britain.

"Right from the start the fans were waving flags and whatever, the whole race for 50 laps. I could see it. That meant so much to me. I could drive very comfortably, be very confident in every corner. That was a great feeling really.

"I just concentrated on my driving and listened carefully to the team radio. The last 10 or 15 laps I short-shifted because the team said to. Emotionally it's great. I just so enjoy these fans."

Sato arrived in Formula One on a steep learning curve and his early races had some critics dubbing him a 'clown prince'.

The former British Formula Three champion had a nightmare debut in Australia, failing to qualify in a rainy session after damaging his car but being given a reprieve by stewards.

In Malaysia he collided with Fisichella and it nearly happened again in Monaco as he moved over for the Italian as they exited the tunnel and lost control. In Austria, he had a lucky escape when Nick Heidfeld's Sauber skidded and speared into his car broadside.

The expensive accidents, for a non-works team on a tight budget, and the end of Jordan's Honda engine deal had led to increased speculation that the former BAR test driver would not retain his seat for 2003.

The doubt remains, although Sato said that his contract was with Jordan and not Honda and he expected to be at the team next year. Sunday's two points can only have helped.

"The most impressive thing about here was that he did all the sessions ... he's had a very controlled weekend," said Jordan's director of engineering Gary Anderson. "I have to compliment him for his effort.

"At the start of the season Taku was struggling to come to terms with what he needed to do in Formula One, the balance between trying too hard and going off and not trying hard enough and being beaten by his teammate. He had a bit of a rude awakening."

Published at 13:08:21 GMT