Takuma Sato

This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Takuma Sato
Sato during the 2013 Grand Prix of Long Beach
Nationality	Japanese
Born	(1977-01-28) 28 January 1977 (age 41) Tokyo, Japan
IndyCar Series career
151 races run over 8 years
Team(s)	No. 30 (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing)
2017 position	8th
Best finish	8th (2017)
First race	2010 São Paulo Indy 300 (São Paulo)
Last race	2018 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma (Sonoma)
First win	2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach)
Last win	2018 Grand Prix of Portland (Portland)
Wins Podiums Poles 3 8 7
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	2002–2008
Teams	Jordan, BAR, Super Aguri
Entries	92 (90 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Career points	44
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	2002 Australian Grand Prix
Last entry	2008 Spanish Grand Prix
Previous series
2002–2008 2000, 2001 2000, 2001 1999–2001	Formula One Masters of Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix British Formula Three
Championship titles
2001 2001 2001	Macau Grand Prix Masters of Formula 3 British Formula Three

Takuma Sato (佐藤 琢磨, Satō Takuma, born 28 January 1977) is a Japanese professional racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 2002 to 2008 for the Jordan, BAR and Super Aguri teams, scoring a single podium at the 2004 United States Grand Prix. Sato has raced full-time in the IndyCar Series since 2010 for the KV, Rahal, Foyt, Andretti, and starting in 2018, once again, the Rahal teams. Sato won the 2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, becoming the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race. He is also the first Asian driver to win the Indianapolis 500, having won the 2017 event.^[1]

Racing career[edit]

Formula One[edit]

Jordan (2002)[edit]

In 2002 Sato graduated to Formula One with the Honda-powered Jordan team, and was paired with Giancarlo Fisichella. His low point was a tremendous crash in Austria, caused when Nick Heidfeld lost control of his Sauber under braking and hit the side of Sato's car, punching a hole in the side of the cockpit.^[2] Throughout he showed flashes of speed but also wild driving, nevertheless the team's faith in Sato was repaid by a fine drive to fifth at his home Grand Prix in Suzuka.

BAR (2003–05)[edit]

Sato celebrates his only Formula One podium finish, at the 2004 United States Grand Prix.

With Honda's focus shifting solely to British American Racing for 2003 Sato joined the Brackley-based outfit as a test driver. For the final round in Japan Sato replaced Jacques Villeneuve and scored the second points finish of his career with sixth, despite a collision with Michael Schumacher. He was signed to race full-time in 2004. His season was blighted by numerous engine failures, suffering no less than six. In spite of this Sato's aggressive driving style paid dividends at the United States Grand Prix, after the team did not pit under safety car conditions Sato fought back with some daring overtaking moves to score his first podium finish, the first for a Japanese driver since Aguri Suzuki at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix. He finished eighth in the championship with 34 points and helped the team to second in the Constructors' championship.

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 Malaysian Grand Prix with illness, and both drivers were disqualified from the San Marino Grand Prix 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, after a crash-strewn season which included being disqualified from the Japanese Grand Prix for an overly-ambitious move on Jarno Trulli, Sato was not re-signed for 2006, despite Honda taking full control of the team.

Super Aguri (2006–08)[edit]

Sato joined the new Super Aguri F1 team for 2006, run by former Japanese driver Aguri Suzuki. The new outfit was in effect a Honda B-team but ran the first half of the season with a modified version of a 2002 Arrows A23 chassis. Nevertheless, Sato's reputation improved thanks to his professional attitude and competitive spirit. The team introduced a new car, the SA06 at the German Grand Prix and by the end of the season Sato was outpacing the Midland cars. At the season finale in Brazil Sato finished tenth just two places short of a points finish and comfortably ahead of both Toro Rossos and the Spyker MF1s.

For 2007, Super Aguri ran a reworked version of the previous year's Honda RA106 chassis. Their performance improved drastically as Sato made it through to Q3 at the Australian Grand Prix. He then scored the first point for the team at the Spanish Grand Prix. At the Canadian Grand Prix, Sato finished sixth after having a race that had seen him move from the middle of the grid to a high of fifth, passing Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen before a pit-stop error dropped him back to eleventh. He moved up five places in the last 15 laps, passing Toyota's Ralf Schumacher and then on lap 67 the McLaren-Mercedes of world champion Fernando Alonso; the latter pass was met with cheers around the track.^[3]

Sato at the 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Financial problems began to affect the team in the off-season winter break and the Japanese squad only just made it to the opening round of the 2008 season in Australia. The team used a modified Honda RA107 chassis, which was launched just before the first Friday Practice session that weekend. The car was just as uncompetitive as the Honda had been in 2007 and the team withdrew from Formula One after the Spanish Grand Prix.

In late 2008, Sato took part in tests at Jerez with Scuderia Toro Rosso, to become a candidate to fill the seat vacated by Sebastian Vettel. He was competing against former Toro Rosso driver Sébastien Bourdais and Red Bull Racing test and reserve driver Sébastien Buemi for one of the two race seats.^[4] He first drove on 18 September, more than four months since Super Aguri's withdrawal, and tested for the team again for two days in November, setting the fastest time on the 17th,^[5] 3 tenths ahead of Buemi, and proceeded by setting the second-fastest time on the 18th.^[6]

Bourdais eventually won the race seat and in March 2009 it was announced that Sato would not be the reserve driver for the Red Bull team.^[7]

IndyCar Series[edit]

KV Racing Technology (2010–11)[edit]

Sato driving for KV Racing at the 2011 Indy Japan 300.

Sato visited the Indianapolis 500 in May 2009. He signed with KV Racing Technology to drive in the 2010 IndyCar Series season^[8] finishing in 21st place, he signed for the same team for 2011.^[9]

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2012)[edit]

At the 2012 Indianapolis 500, driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Sato chased Dario Franchitti to the finish making a move for the lead and the race win at the first turn of the last lap. While not successful, Sato was respected by Indianapolis 500 fans for "going for it" on the last lap.

A. J. Foyt Enterprises (2013–2016)[edit]

For 2013, Sato joined A. J. Foyt's team, driving the No. 14 car vacated by Mike Conway. In the third race of the season at Long Beach, Sato scored his first IndyCar win, in his 52nd start in the series, making him the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race.^[10]

Andretti Autosport (2017)[edit]

Takuma Sato after winning the Indianapolis 500 race event on May 28, 2017 - Indianapolis Indiana USA

Sato joined Andretti Autosport for the 2017 season. He went on to become the first Japanese driver and first non Caucasian driver to win the Indianapolis 500.^[11] After the 500 win, he went on to win a pole at the Dual in Detroit on Belle Isle. He also ended up winning another pole at Pocono Raceway in August.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2018)[edit]

On 26 August 2017, it was reported that in 2018, Sato would rejoin RLL driving the 16 car and being a teammate to Graham Rahal as Andretti Autosport considered a move back with Chevrolet in 2018. That move by Andretti subsequently did not happen. After numerous weeks of bad luck including crashing early in the Indianapolis 500 and wrecking early at Pocono and a failed pit strategy at Gateway, Sato played the strategy right and held off Ryan Hunter-Reay in the IndyCar return to Portland, winning his third career race and his first on a permanent road course, doing so from 20th starting position.

Formula Nippon/Super Formula[edit]

On 14 June 2012, Mugen Motorsports announced that Sato would race with Team Mugen in the last 2 rounds, as well as the JAF Grand Prix, at Sportsland SUGO, Suzuka Circuit and Fuji Speedway of the 2012 Formula Nippon season.^[12]

Formula E[edit]

On 20 November 2013, Sato became a test driver for the FIA Formula E Championship.^[13] On 11 September 2014, Sato joined his former Formula One team Amlin Aguri to compete in Formula E, starting with the season-opening Beijing ePrix.^[14] In the race, Sato was not classified, finishing the race four laps down despite setting the fastest lap with a time of 1:45.101.^[15]

Personal life[edit]

Sato is married and has two children with his wife, Chiharu.^[16] Sato was a national cycling champion in high school, and still utilizes cycling as part of his physical training for his racing career.^[17]

Motorsports career results[edit]

Career summary[edit]

Complete Formula One results[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

^† Did not finish the race, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.

American open–wheel racing[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

IndyCar Series[edit]

* Season still in progress.
¹ The 2011 Las Vegas Indy 300 was abandoned after Dan Wheldon died from injuries sustained in a 15-car crash on lap 11.

Indianapolis 500[edit]

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results[edit]

Complete Formula Nippon/Super Formula results[edit]

Complete Formula E results[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

See also[edit]

• List of Japanese people
• Andrew Gilbert-Scott – his manager since his Junior Formula career in Europe until 2009

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Takuma Sato.

• Official website
• Takuma Sato career summary at DriverDB.com
• Takuma Sato driver statistics at Racing-Reference