Ok Ladie and Germs, it’s
High time for the Closing Ceremonies on this overly long, drawn out No fenders
expose on recent Japanese Formula 1 Drivers! And in the final assessment of
Japan’s Medals, Err F1 Drivers count, out of a total of six contestants, the
results are finally in, tuh duh…
Although these three
Overall Medallion choices are somewhat influenced Sentimentally, I believe Thar
ratings are buoyed by their Overall achievements on the International Stage and
relative overall competition.
Taking the Gold medal
is none other than Takuma Sato, based on the fact of not only being the only
Japanese Driver to win an IndyCar race, but Defeat Helio Castroneves and Scott
Dixon respectively en route to becoming the only Japanese Driver to ever win
the Indianapolis 500, not once, but twice!
Kamui Kobayashi claims
the Silver medal based upon his winning the Rolex 24 twice, which I’d argue was
a bigger accomplishment than our Bronze medal winner Kazuki Nakajima’s three-peat
at Circuit de la Sarthe, especially since it was just an Intra-team toy-Yoter’ Scrum,
and I’m still not completely convinced the team didn’t ensure that Nakajima’s
most esteemed team-mate Fredrico Suave, aka Fred Alonso won at Le Mans due to
the publicity it would garner…
Takuma Sato
Birthplace: Tokyo,
Japan
DOB: 1/28/77, Age 44
Formula 1
Teams:
Jordan, BAR, Super Aguri (2002-2008)
First
Race: 2002 Australian Grand Prix
Last
Race: 2008 Spanish Grand Prix
IndyCar
Teams:
KVRT, A.J. Foyt Racing , Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Andretti Autosport,
RLLR (2010-Present)
First
Race: 2010 Sao Paolo Indy 300
Two
Time Indianapolis 500 Winner (2017, 2020)
6
wins/14 Podiums/10 Poles
Takuma Sato began racing go Karts at Age
19 and won the National Karting championship in 1997. The following year he
made his “Cars” debut in Bloody ‘Ol England with Honda’s backing in the Vauxhall
Junior and Formula Opel Single Seater categories before graduating to the “Junior”
British F3 Championship.
For 2000 Taku-san joined Carlin and scored
four wins en route to third in the Championship. Remaining with Carlin a second
year, Sato Dominated the Formula 3 championship, scoring 12 wins in 13 rounds
to claim the ’01 British F3 title.
For 2002 Takuma joined the “Plucky”
Irishman EJ’s Jordan Grand Prix with Mugen Honda V-10 engines, and although
Sato had an up ‘N down season, complete with some “sketchy” driving, Sato did
reward Eddie Jordan by scoring a fine fifth place finish at his Home race in
Japan. As I can still vaguely recall rooting for him at Suzuka when scoring his
first Formula 1 points.
In 2003 Taku moved to Lucky Strike BAR
Honda, first as a Test driver before making his BAR debut appropriately at his
Home race at Suzuka, replacing the fading Jacques Villeneuve. And although Sato’s
best career finish in Formula 1 would occur the following year at the USGP at
Indianapolis, where he claimed his lone podium with a fine third place finish.
For Mwah, I’ll never forget the immense appreciation his Home Fans gave him at
Suzuka that day in ’03. Since everywhere Claudio’ and I went that weekend, their
was just simply a Sea of Japanese Fans adorned with Lucky Strike BAR Baseball
Caps!
And whilst the ’04 season was Sato’s
best, not only scoring that third place finish at Mother Speedway, becoming only
the second Japanese Driver to stand on a Formula 1 Podium, following Aguri
Suzuki doing so Wayback in 1990, appropriately at the Japanese Grand Prix. As
Takuma finished eighth Overall, the best career finish for a Japanese Driver in
Formula 1, with his results helping BAR finish runner-up to Ferrari in the
Constructors standings.
In a case of “Ying & Yang,” Obviously
the 2005 season at BAR Honda was a massive Disappointment, capped by the Disgrace
of the team being “Disqualified from the San Marino Grand Prix and “Barred”
from the following two races after having been caught with Underweight cars
when the Fuel Tanks were drained under Sporting Director Gil De Ferran’s watch.
As Taku was only able to finish in the points once afterwards at Hungary with an
8th place finish and was dropped from the team at season’s end.
Yet there was such a feverish Uproar in
Japan over Sato’s dismissal from BAR Honda and Formula 1 in general after
having been replaced by Rubens Barrichello, that Honda coaxed Aguri Suzuki into
running a second Honda F1 Team called Super Aguri in order to keep Sato in F1 for the 2006 season.
This was such a late decision by the
Honda Brass that the team began the ’06 season’s first four races with hastily
revamped ex-2002 Arrows A23 chassis, for which I believe one was a converted
Show Car on duty at the Australian Airport, Crikeys!
Sato had three team-mates in 2006, two
being fellow countrymen Yuji Ide and Sakon Yamamoto, with Reserve Driver Frank “the
Tank” Montagny sandwiched in between.
Takuma scored the team’s only points
during the ’07 season, with new team-mate ANT’, aka Anthony Davidson alongside
him before the team ran into financial difficulties during the Offseason and
only barely made it to the grid at Australia and subsequently folded following
the ’08 Spanish Grand Prix.
In the fall of ’08 Sato tested for
Scuderia toro ross’s seat vacated by ‘lil syd Viddle, (Sebastian Vettel) which eventually
went to Sebastian Buemi. He then went to the ’09 Indianapolis 500 where he made
a deal to race for KV Racing Technology in Indy Cars for 2010.
Takuma’s rookie IndyCar season was a learning
experience, finishing 21st Overall. He remained with the team for
2011 with team-mates EJ “What, Me Worry?” Viso and TK’ follow your Schnoz! Kanaan
replacing “M ‘N M,” aka Mario Moraes, plus Pault Tracy who ran a partial season
that year. Takuma netted three Top 5 finishes and his first two IndyCar Pole
positions en route to P13 Overall.
For Twenty-Twelve, with the re-introduction
of multiple engine manufactures, Sato moved to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
where he ended up just three corners short of winning that year’s Indianapolis
500 where he lived up to his motto of “No Attack, No chance!” Attempting to
overtake Dario Franchitti into Turn 1 on the race’s final lap, with the Scotsman
pushing him wide, with Sato ultimately crashing and Dario winning his third
Indy 500. Which is the only time I’ve ever heard Fans Booing a winner at Mother
Speedway!
Yet I still fondly recall David Coulthard,
winner of 13 formula 1 races once Dismissively telling Sato He’d Never had attempted
passing into some track’s corner during an F1 Drivers meeting Me Thinks? To
which Takuma cheekily replied I “Know!” Hence why he’d pulled off the move on
Coulthard…
The following year Takuma joined A.J. foyt
enterprises, then a Honda powered team, since Sato has a long history of being Honda
backed. In his third race with the team in the storied No. 14 entry, Takuma won
the Long Beach Grand Prix! Which was the highlight of his tenure with ‘Ol SuperTex’s
team, which is also it’s latest IndyCar victory. Yet with
Foyt switching to the bowtie’ for 2017, Sato
was on the move once again.
Thus Sato switched to Mikey A’s team and
won that year’s Indianapolis 500 in a spirited battle with some Dancin’ Fool
named Hulio! As Sato became the first Japanese Driver to win at Mother Speedway!
But with Andretti Autosport’s potential change to Chevrolet looming on the
horizon,
Taku-san’ was forced to jump ship again.
Sato returned to Boobie Ruble and
Company’s team for a second stint and the rest was History as they say. As the
likeable Japanese IndyCar Driver’s won four races with RLLR to date, beginning
with winning at Portland International Raceway upon it’s return to the IndyCar
calendar after an eleven year hiatus.
In 2019 Sato won twice, first at Ye
Barber’s, nee Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, and then the Racing Gods Smiled
profusely upon him at Gateway, nee Wide World Technology Raceway the week after
Sato was lambasted for supposedly causing a first lap Pile-up at Pocono.
And we All know how 2020 saw Sato join
fairly elite company when he overtook and then held off Scotty “the Iceman 2.0”
Dixon for his second Indianapolis 500 victory! Whilst you’d have to say that
2021’s been a pretty quiet year for Sato, and one must wonder how much longer
he’ll race in IndyCar’s? Since after all Sato turns 45 next January, although
Takuma’s legacy is firmly set, especially with his face adorning the Borg
Warner trophy twice…
As what’s that ‘Ol Sato saying? Oh Yeah, Job done!
