Podium finishers Helio Castroneves and E.J. Viso were addressing the media after Sunday's Iowa 250 when Castroneves, ever the entertainer, started interviewing Viso.
Viso, who finished a career-best third, played along briefly. But he quickly shifted gears, offering an unprompted and strikingly honest review of the race turned in by his KV Racing teammate, Takuma Sato.
``Takuma was flying. I think he made a rookie mistake, but he got the car to be up there with us,'' Viso said.
Castroneves nodded knowingly. It was clear both drivers believed that Sato, the unheralded IndyCar rookie from Monaco by way of Tokyo, could have easily joined them on the podium - or knocked them off of it.
Sato finished the Iowa 250 in 19th place, a familiar spot for the former Formula 1 driver who's struggled to finish races this season. But until he slammed into the wall 73 laps from the finish, Sato was in the mix with leaders Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti and appeared poised for a breakout race on Iowa's speedy short oval.
Sato qualified seventh and was running as high as third entering the later stages of the race. But he closed too quickly while trying to lap Alex Lloyd and was overcome by turbulence, which sent his No. 5 car hurtling into the barrier by the grandstands.
Kanaan took first, followed by Castroneves and Viso. Franchitti was done in by a faulty gear box and finished 18th, one spot ahead of Sato.
``I was only a passenger. I couldn't turn in anymore,'' Sato said.
Just as everyone began to take serious notice of Sato, his run was over. It's been that kind of season for Sato, who's still adjusting to the IndyCar Series after spending much of the last decade in F1.
``It was extremely, extremely disappointing. It wasn't even thinkable, finishing up that way,'' Sato said of his race in Iowa.
The 33-year-old Sato had moderate success in F1, finishing as high as eighth in 2004. But by 2008, his Super Aguri team ran into serious financial problems and had to withdraw from the circuit after just four races.
Though he tested with F1 team Scuderia Toro Rosso for a seat the following year, he found himself out of a ride in 2009. Sato said he cherished the time away from the track because it allowed him to spend more time with his family, but he was itching to get back into a high-level series.
``It is a difficult point. It is tough. As a race driver, you want to jump in a car, of course, all the time. But at the same time, because where I had been in F1, to me it's wasn't necessary just to do something. I needed a good environment, I needed a good level of competition,'' Sato said.
After nearly two years of waiting, Sato found it in the IRL. He visited Indianapolis for last year's Indy 500 Bump Day and met with KV Racing co-owner Jimmy Vasser. The pair kept in contact, and KV signed Sato for 2010.
So far, the only real dent he's made in the IRL has been to his distinctive green and yellow Lotus. He failed to finish a lap in his debut in Sao Paulo because of an accident and his best finish is 18th, which he ran on the street course in Long Beach, Calif., on April 18.
Sato is hoping his team can build off yet another strong qualifying run - he's started 11th or better in six of eight races - and the 177 quality laps at Iowa and finish the season strong.
Of course, the biggest challenge for Sato is to learn how to finish. He's only done that three times this season.
Sato is 22nd in the points heading into the July 4 road course race at Watkins Glen.
``Now you see that things are coming (together). The potential is always there,'' Sato said. ``I think we can do a great job.''
