INSIDE JAPAN from our view

Super Aguri Honda files F1 entry with the FIA ...Former Japanese star driver Aguri Suzuki announced Tuesday he would lead a new Formula One team next season with engines supplied by Honda. Suzuki, 45, said his "Super Aguri Formula 1" had submitted an entry form to the FIA last week.

 We have four Formula one drivers who join throughout season so far. The pioneer is Satoru Nakajima, second one and the first podium driver is Aguri Suzuki, the third is Ukyo Katayama whose nickname is "Kamikaze" and the recent one is Takuma Sato.

 Nakajima currently owns his team and support Japanese young drivers. But he rarely appears on TV. But Aguri and Katayama are shown on TV so frequently that many people know them. Katayama is famous because he climbs world highest mountains but Aguri is famous for his success in business. Although all three drivers did not win in Formula one, their lives after retirement have been successful.

 On the other hand, Sato's disappointing performance this year quickly loses his popularity in Japan. He was thought to be the first promising driver who could get a Formula one seat by his talent not by Japanese money. And many Japanese funs were eager to see his top level performance. But it is enough for us to understand that Sato is not as great a driver as Alonso or Raikkonen. Even more, Sato is not qualified to compete in Formula one category if you think about his extraordinarily aggressive driving and his fatal accidents which made many drivers upset.

 So I think he should quit his carrier as Formula one pilot. But he seems to get a seat in 2006 by using Japanese money. It is true that in 2006 Honda and Toyota will perform well and they will push Japanese reputation up again. But Aguri's collaboration with Sato will make Japanese drivers' reputation much worse.