Sato was retained by BAR-Honda for the 2005 season, but the 2005 car was not as close to the front of the pack as the previous year's design. Sato missed the with illness, and both drivers were disqualified from the and the entire team banned from the two subsequent races for using cars which were underweight when all fuel was removed. The Court did not find that this was deliberate. Sato's season never recovered from that point, and he ended the season with eighth-place at the Hungarian Grand Prix as his only points finish, despite qualifying seven times in the top ten. Sato was not re-signed for 2006, despite Honda taking full control of the team.