Sato's appearance is thought to be dependant upon Zonta�s interim performance and whether the Japanese talent can gain a Superlicence.
His British F3 championship will be over by then so it is not an issue.

Honda are said to be very keen on the move as it would raise their profile in Japan at a time when their arch rivals, Toyota, are about to enter the sport. It would also raise Jordan's profile in Japan where there is a massive following for the sport, but no driver for all those big corporations to put their sponsorship into.

Frentzen's departure could put pressure on many of Jordan�s German sponsors (Deutsche Post, Danzas, DHL, Infinion and Puma to name a few!) to move to a team with a more German flavour, so some new names could be needed for the EJ12.

Sato is currently under contract to BAR, but Honda have a powerful grip over both their teams - the threat to remove their engines is very real and terrifies both Eddie and Pollock. The Japanese car giant will use that power to ensure that Sato is given as much F1 testing mileage in the BAR-Honda in the run up to Suzuka. They are also reportedly willing to pay for his release from the BAR testing contract in order to allow him to race for Jordan in the last grand prix of the season.