New Formula 1 Grand Prix winners Scuderia Toro Rosso are hosting a test session at Jerez for Super Aguri F1 refugee Takuma Sato in his F1 comeback. For Sato, Scuderia Toro Rosso, or Minardi as we used to know it, is another small F1 team not dissimilar to Super Aguri. They have finally achieved their first win after over 2 decades of trying, and one really has to ask what if SAF1 was still in existence and whether their performance would be comparable to STR’s over the last few months.

One of many strengths STR has over SAF1 is their Ferrari engines being able to produce much more power and driveability than the Honda unit, and of course the STR3 is ultimately a current specification Red Bull and nothing near last year’s disastrous Honda RA107, which SAF1 had to use this year without choice. STR ultimately and thankfully does not have the black cloud of senior management in their parent company meddling in matters that will affect their on track performance; quite unlike SAF1 indeed.

However, one thing SAF1 and STR has in common is they’re both battlers and aim to punch well above their weight in what they do.

Sato seems to thrive and perform much better in such environments as SAF1 and STR as opposed to his general performance at BAR Honda which left something to be desired especially in 2005. Not that all of it was necessarily his fault. When Honda showed him the door at the end of 2005, he very much reinvented himself over the last 2 and a half years and put himself well in demand in his own right with a combination of his performance, technical feedback, very positive PR skills and his bright personality.

In contrast, looking at the state of Honda Racing F1 currently, and over the past few years, with it’s falling staff morale, apparent lack of technical depth, highly disorganized management, and under-performing drivers. It makes for very average reporting to their shareholders, employees, representatives, media and ultimately, those that maintain an interest of any sort of their performances, including their fans.

One has to wonder, Did Honda Japan made a mistake when they chose to close down 1 of their F1 outfits due to their shareholders’ refusal to invest in 2 teams in F1…

As an unabashed Takuma Sato fan, I don’t believe Taku needs Honda to stay in F1. Taku has a good enough reputation in this field and doesn’t need Honda to cut a engine supply deal with a team and put him in as part of a package deal, like Kazuki Najakima’s drive with Williams with their Toyota engine supply. Likewise, rumours of STR being supplied with Honda engines hopefully will stay rumours as the Ferrari engine is a far superior unit, and it’s about time Taku gets to enjoy some real “horse” power on his way to further successes with this delightful little team.