Danica vs. Takuma: "That stupid (expletative) did it on purpose" ... or not?

Danica Patrick

Takuma Sato

Was it a spear or not? Pay back for banging earlier in the race or jealous rage? Or just one of them racing deals? Takuma Sato and Danica Patrick locked horns twice at Sonoma, once in practice and once very late in the race.

Here's a link to all the video I could find of the late-race contact Monday night.http://bit.ly/999Gf0 (Ups to @ttomcat for making me hip to the video link via Twitter)

That brief video look doesn't paint a great picture for Takuma Sato, but it would be super cool to see some angles and in-cars for the two or three turns before that, because I think there was some stuff going on prior.

Luckily, IMS Radio Network was on the scene. First, Kevin Lee reported that Danica said "That stupid (expletive) did it on purpose" on her radio after the incident. Then pit reporters said Danica seemed to be experiencing rage getting out of her car after the race. Then Haley Moore, Danica's PR operative and the originator of kittens and rainbows, may have stepped in and reminded Danica to breathe a little bit.

After the race, IMS radio charged in and asked Sato and Patrick what the hell happened. (Listener service. I super love it.) By then everyone seemed to be more calm.  Here's what they said. Listen to the comments for yourself at about the 2 hour and 50 minute mark of this audio replay. (Ups to @tamgil for shooting me the link to this on Twitter)

Takuma Sato -- "No, don’t get me wrong. Of course I didn’t do it on purpose at all. I had a front tire (issue) or a puncture (Some tire issue. I couldn't understand Sato very well here). You could see how I was struggling for three of four laps. I gave her space left on the inside so she can go. But then after, just look at me, completely out of balance and I just simply couldn't stop it. Going back to the Friday (practice accident), it was completely unnecessary, wasn't it? I mean, it it was just practice; it was a bit silly. It happened. Sorry about that; in the last lap of course I didn’t want to (have contact)."

Danica -- "I haven’t seen any replay at all so, sometimes it can look different on the replay. .... I go into the hairpin and I brake late. I know I need to break late in order to miss the mischief. I get into the corner; I already turned in, and I can see out of corner of my eye, in my rear view mirror, I could see he was behind me; see his whole car. I got into the corner and I got hit. I just don’t now. I’m going to have to see the replay. For those who saw it on TV, you probably know better than I do. But all I know is it sure felt I was into the corner when he hit me."

(What happened in practice?) "I went to the inside of him and he was getting caught pretty quickly. Dixon went by him and then I caught him. I looked to the inside turn 6 and when I passed him into turn 7, I was all the way up the inside. It’s only practice. If someone wants to go by you in practice, let them go by you in practice. I don’t understand what happened there either. I seemed like he could have avoided that accident by not turning in right there. Again I was already into the corner when he hit me."

UPDATE: Based on Mike R's comments below, I went back to the audio and at the 45:45 Mike King did say he ate breakfast with a double secret "very legitimate source" close to Sato who told him that Sato deliberately speared Danica in practice as payback for something Danica said about Sato many races earlier.

Insert dramatic music here!

Comments

[Tom G.]

Maybe Taku was auditioning for a NASCAR ride next year?

[redd]

Sato dumped her.

[Mike R]

Mike King and Davey Hamilton stated openly before the race online that there was some personal "source" very close to Sato that King said he'd seen at a meal (not sure if it was that morning or what), and this source had (under condition of anonymity) said flatly that Sato intentionally went after Danica during practice. So apparently there's some bad-blood been-a-brewin' here. I doubt it will be acted on during any of the remaining races - I hope he's got more sense than that on an oval. Maybe cooler heads will prevail.

[AZZO45]

Sato dumped her... but he also admitted he was having issues.

He said it was silly & he also stated he was sorry for the contact. Hardly NASCAR... where they proudly stake claim for their on track thug tactics, eh?

[pressdog]

Not to get the black helicopters airborne or anything, but if you know your car is mortally wounded and you're done for the day very soon, you no longer have to worry about "ruining your race" if you spear someone. You're race is ruined already. And Mike R is right, I went back and listened and at 45:45 Mike King did say he ate breakfast with a double secret "very legitimate source" close to Sato who said Sato deliberately speared Danica in practice as payback for something Danica said about Sato many races earlier.

[Robert]

I have a new found respect and will start the New Jersey branch of the Sato fan club!!!

[A.J.]

"Mike King did say he ate breakfast with a double secret "very legitimate source" close to Sato who told him that Sato deliberately speared Danica in practice as payback for something Danica said about Sato many races earlier."

How seriously should this be taken? I don't know how to evaluate King's statement. I'm personally finding this a bit hard to believe: Regardless of who the target is, Sato is a guy who's not only lost his ride in F1, but DNF'd what, 5 races this year already? Because of that, I'm really having trouble believing he'd risk his current ride on fits of pique. Sure, some people may applaud and say "Yeah! Get Danica!", but seriously, is a driver going to actually risk his seat on a team to deliberately knock someone out whom he didn't like?

I can see him being pissed enough to maintain contact after it first occurred. But even that is nothing more than speculation. Ultimately, I'd want more than just an anonymous source's say so before buying into this story. Sure, it's possible. But some evidence above and beyond an anonymous source is needed. That's all I'm saying.

[GeorgeK]

That's what's so tragic about the state of racing today. If Taku is bringing sponsorship dollars (don't know one way or t'other) the team may need him more then he needs them.

Hence his possible boldness in regards to breaking his car and settling alleged insults.

[Concerned Fan]

Was there smoke coming off Sato's front tire(s)? The video isn't utterly conclusive, I guess, but I didn't see any on the TV replay. I'm thinking Sato's excuse is a lie, and he speared her on purpose.

[pressdog]

It's hard to believe Sato. MOST people if their cars are roached and they have a puncture they get WAY off it and just kind of coast as people overtake them while trying to nurse it back to the pit. If Danica was the reason his car was roached, then that's adds a nuance to the whole deal.

[Jim Bob]

Two low-talent midpackers, "fighting" for 10th place. That's all this is.

This is like trying to find controversy when Sam Hornish and Travis Kvapil run into one another in Cup.

[pressdog]

Come on, Jim Bob. If you take the low-talent midpackers fighting for 10th away from us, then what do we have? NOTHING. Leave us with some scraps of excitement at least.