Tokyo: Japan's new Formula One team Super Aguri has signed BAR-Honda reject Takuma Sato and newcomer Yuji Ide for the first all-Japanese driver line-up in the history of the premier motorsport circuit.
"I am grateful that these highly experienced drivers are joining my team," team boss and former Japanese F1 driver Aguri Suzuki said.
"Although I expect a tough year as it is our first in Formula One, with these two drivers I will put all my efforts into creating a positive outcome," he said.
The world's motorsport governing body FIA last month accepted the late entry of the Super Aguri team to the 2006 F1 championship with the first race set for March 12 in Bahrain.
Super Aguri earlier said they will be powered by Honda engines and be based in Langley in Oxfordshire in Britain.
They will use the factory of disbanded F1 team Arrows in Leafield, Oxfordshire, with Mark Preston as technical director.
Sato, 29, was dropped by BAR-Honda at the end of last season and is widely tipped to become the new team's number one driver.
"I am extremely excited to be working with the team and especially with Aguri-san who has achieved huge success in motorsport," said Sato.
"We know that there is a lot of hard work to do, but we are up for the challenge and I am really looking forward to it."
Ide, 31, who finished second last season on the Japanese F-3000 series known as Formula Nippon, said he drove an F1 car for the first time on Wednesday.
"I was nervous, but very excited. The car is powerful."
Suzuki, 45, started in 88 Grand Prix and was the first Asian to stand on the Formula One podium in Suzuka in 1990 when he finished third.
Sato became the only other Japanese driver to make the F1 podium when he finished third at the 2004 US Grand Prix.
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