We are not alone. I came in contact with Yusze Tong at Melbourne 2003 and he was a Michael/Ferrari fan and I of course was caked in Jordan yellow, but we both have one thing in common: Takuma Sato fans based in Melbourne, Australia.  We decided to make a banner for Taku for Melbourne 2004 and our efforts were seen of course on TS’ official website and a tradition was started where we would make a banner for Taku every year for the AGP.  Yusze and I both also ended up posting a message on TS’ official forum whether if any fans are travelling to Melbourne for the race.  We had a group of about 10 from Japan join us at Melbourne as well as everybody else we met at the track over the course of the week… a rather formidable little army! There are many that were surprised that Taku had non-Japanese fans and even more so when they discover we’re Melbourne locals.  This started another tradition also where we would try to make as many friends as possible and be united as Takuma Sato fans without bounds or barriers such as language and communication difficulties.  

The best part of Melbourne 2004 was we found out that Brunotti was hosting a party at The Stokehouse (A Melbourne bar/resturant at the beachfront at St Kilda) for BAR Honda.  We saw the BAR Honda showcar

James and the famous Taku banner at Stokehouse restaurant on the beach at St Kilda

 sitting on the beach in front of The Stokehouse and we were all dressed up in BAR Honda gear.  Eventually when Jenson and Taku came out for photos, we were screaming for Taku and he saw all of us and waved.  As soon as his sponsor commitments are over he popped by and we all had a great chat and photos with him, and we showed him our banner for the race, I could see he was so happy to see it.   The photographers saw our banner also and asked us to hold the banner up as Taku stood in front of it and everyone snapped away.  There was so many photographers taking photos we lost count and to this day, it was so surreal to me that we were the centre of attention with Taku at the beach and that photo was seen everywhere worldwide.  

The highlight of 2004 was of course Taku’s podium at Indy and that race was shown at 3am Monday morning at Melbourne local time live… Yusze and I stayed up to watch the race and by the end of it… take a guess what we’re like? It was something beautiful indeed that day.  

Sine neither Yusze nor I are financially able to travel around the world (donations gratefully accepted) for a second GP outside of Australia, Yusze and I came up with an idea to send our banner for 2005 around the world for the entire season.  The fan that hosts it for each race must put a sticker or a souvenir of the race on the back of the banner and get Taku to sign it at each race and pass it to the next fan that will travel with it to the next GP.  At the end of the season the banner will be auctioned and the proceeds donated to Taku’s choice of charity.  It was very much a logistical nightmare as we needed to co-ordinate its movements around the world and who would be taking it to each race etc.  Our great friend Mark Talbot of UK was a huge help managing this from Europe and taking the banner himself to many races also. However, it was a fantastic platform for TS fans worldwide to meet Taku and they all contributed their part towards it.  I nearly won the banner from Mark Talbot at the end of the year when it was up for auction and it fetched about 1000 pounds and the entire amount was donated to UNICEF.  

The banner signed by Taku

Towards the end of 2005 there were voices and rumors indicating that Honda is buying out BAR and Taku was not going to be part of the new Honda F1 team.  This was eventually confirmed around the Brazilian GP to the outrage of everybody that supports him.  I vented plenty of venom on Taku’s forum towards Honda along with many other fans and cancelled my order for a new Honda Jazz to replace my old bomb of a Toyota.  I was ready to stop watching F1 and not going to the AGP in 2006 because there is no interest in it for me to support someone else.  However, when news broke at Suzuka that an 11th F1 team was being proposed with Honda support and Taku as the lead driver; it got my attention and made me reconsider.  That team was eventually revealed by Aguri Suzuki and named Super Aguri F1 Team.  It was lucky I reconsidered because the new beginning was the turning point of being part of the fanbase, and becoming closer than I’ve ever dreamed of towards the inner sanctum of F1.