The Canadian Grand Prix ended in disappointment for Takuma Sato, who was forced to retire when the rear brakes locked up on his BAR-Honda 007, causing him to spin off.

Taku dropped from sixth to eighth as the resurfaced and slippery track took its toll, and ran in that position until his first pit-stop on lap 16, but was then forced to make an unscheduled second stop just six laps later when gearbox problems struck. However, instead of retiring the Japanese driver’s car immediately, the team decided to fix the problem and send him out again to test the modifications - and secure a better qualifying slot - ahead of next week’s United States Grand Prix. The brake problems finally ended his race on lap 42.

　 “It was an extremely disappointing result for all of us today, especially as we had looked good all weekend. It was a particularly eventful afternoon for me. I had a problem at the start when the car didn't pull away well, and I struggled into turns one and two. Then one of the Saubers hit me from behind and I lost my diffuser and part of the rear wing, which made the car difficult to drive.

Halfway through the race, we had a problem with the gearbox and had to change the whole back end of the car. This is a bit unusual, but we wanted to collect some data and there was also a chance to gain position. The car was not working well, though, and the hydraulic pressure was too low. In the end, the rear brakes locked up and I lost the car completely. The mechanics did a fantastic job to get me back in the race today and it was a pity that we were unable to finish. We can take some positives from this weekend however so we look forward now and hope to do better in Indianapolis."

　 Takuma Sato completed a good day for BAR-Honda in Montreal by claiming sixth position on the grid for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Taku was just 0.5secs off pole after the made changes that it reckons ‘unlocked the potential’ of the Honda-powered 007 for the first time this year. Despite the added complication of concrete patches having to applied to the new track surface, making it very slippery, Taku put together a solid lap in rising temperatures to claim the outside of row three.

　 "The temperature had risen quite a lot since the last practice session, so I didn’t push so hard on my warm-up lap and that probably affected the level of grip. The new aero package is working really well and it seems that all of our hard work in testing last week is paying off. The team have done a fantastic job to produce the new aero parts for these two races. The whole weekend has been going well, so it feels like we are making the steps to get back to the top. I am confident that we have a good set-up for the race and am really looking forward to tomorrow."

　 Takuma Sato ended the opening day of the Canadian Grand Prix meeting in eighth position on what was another competitive day for the BAR-Honda team.

The two hour-long sessions were largely uneventful for the Japanese driver, who was quick and consistent in both, despite having to contend with a new track surface at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The new asphalt proved very slippery in the morning and threw up new set-up queries and unpredictable tyre-wear rates, but Take completed 32 laps in the afternoon, giving the team - which introduced a new Honda engine and further aero updates - plenty of data to work with.

　 "It was a good session for us today. We put a lot of mileage on the car and are confident that the lower downforce configuration which Anthony [Davidson] tested at Monza last week is working really well. Obviously, we still have to work hard to keep competitive throughout the weekend but, at least on the first day with the new track surface, we collected very good data and should be very happy about that."