By Phil Huff
November 20 2006

Anthony Davidson has proved himself at every level of motorsport, and has finally landed a full time Formula One drive. As he leaves Honda Racing F1 for Super Aguri, we look back at his career to date. Anthony started his motor racing career strongly, winning the RAC MSA Junior British Karting Championship. He then followed that up the next year by doing exactly the same thing!

A switch in 1996 to the CIK/FIA European Karting Championship proved slightly tougher, but the runner up slot was well deserved, and set him up nicely for 1997's attack on the KCIK/FIA Oceania Karting Championship. Another runner up slot was the result.

Moving to the WKA/FMK/FIA North American Karting Championship in 1998, Anthony raced to third place. Returning to Europe a year later, Anthony split his time between the Italian Karting Open championship (which he came runner up in) and the Formula Ford Zetec championship. Six wins, all from pole position, secured him his first championship.

Runner up in 2000, and winner of the Formula Ford Festival World Cup at Brands Hatch, Anthony had done enough to win the respected Autosport McLaren Young Driver of the Year award. Anthony had arrived.

He'd done enough to get a job as test driver for Lucky Strike BAR Honda for 2001, but needed to continue racing. Formula 3 was the natural next step, and he finished runner up in the British championship - to none other than future BAR team mate and now Super Aguri team mate Takuma Sato! He also took the time to win the FIA European F3 Cup, the Pau Grand Prix and the F3 Spa Masters, rounding off a busy year.

A quiet year for 2002, Anthony concentrated on his Lucky Strike BAR Honda testing duties, but struck lucky later in the year. As Alex Yoong was rested from the Minardi F1 team, Anthony was called up. Two races for Minardi Asiatech was a great opportunity but, sadly, both ended in spins. Despite a lack of testing time in the car, he'd set a competitive pace against hot-shot Mark Webber, and was keen to get back into an F1 race seat.

In 2003 Anthony had a stab at sportscars, securing second in class at the FIA GT Sebring 12 Hour race, and driving for Veloqx Prodrive Ferrari at Le Mans. Testing for Lucky Strike BAR Honda and being reserve driver for Jaguar Racing rounded off his year, although there wasn't much F1 action.

Another year of testing in 2004 was going to see Anthony helping to develop the BAR 006 in the background, but a rule change allowing the team to run a third car on the Friday at each Grand Prix meant he was thrust into the limelight. Anthony finally got to show what he was capable of, consistently being amongst the fastest runners, often at circuits he'd never visited, and showing the same pace that took Jenson Button to third in the championship.

His performances saw him linked to Red Bull, Sauber and Williams, but he remained at BAR Honda for 2005 as others couldn't guarantee a race drive - testing for a growing and fast team was a better option. Still desperate for a race seat, he didn't have to wait long. Replacing the ill Takuma Sato at Malaysia, Anthony performed well for two laps before reliability gremlins robbed him of a chance to shine. That was the only F1 chance he got, but he continued pounding round the circuits in Friday practice, showing the watching team bosses what he could do.

Staying with the newly rebranded Honda Racing F1 team in 2006, Davidson was again playing the role of Man Friday to critical acclaim. Topping the timesheets on eight occasions, and taking P2 a further 11 times, despite the shortcomings of the RA106 chassis, he was soon linked to the fledgling Honda-powered Super Aguri outfit, although the all-Japan ambitions of the team seemed to put a stop to that.

However, with good authority RealHondaF1.com announced Anthony as a Super Aguri driver in July 2006, starting the F1 websites of the world off on a speculative frenzy. We knew he'd got the job, we knew he was happy, so what more could he want? A month later, he got married to Carrie Bond, the PR executive from Jaguar Racing - where he was reserve driver back in 2003.

Last week it was all publicly announced. Anthony Davidson, after 12 years of hard work, and without needing to find a hefty sponsorship support package, had secured a full time Formula One drive.

Some had written Ant off as a has-been. He's a still-will-be in our book.

We wish him all the best.