Sakon Yamamoto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sakon Yamamoto
山本 左近
Yamamoto in 2022
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 5 November 2021 – 9 October 2024
Constituency	Tōkai PR
Personal details
Born	(1982-07-09) 9 July 1982 (age 43) Toyohashi, Japan
Political party	Liberal Democratic
Alma mater	Nanzan University
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Japanese
Active years	2006–2007, 2010
Teams	Super Aguri, Spyker, HRT
Entries	21 (21 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	2006 German Grand Prix
Last entry	2010 Korean Grand Prix
Previous series
2020 2015 2009 2008–2009 2007–2008 2005–2006 2005–2006 2001, 2004 2003 2002 2001	Super Formula Lights Formula E ADAC GT Masters GP2 Asia Series GP2 Series Formula Nippon Super GT Japanese F3 F3 Euro Series German F3 British F3

Sakon Yamamoto (born July 9, 1982) is a Japanese former racing driver and a politician. He competed in Formula One races between 2006 and 2010. Yamamoto was also a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from 2021 to 2024. He represented the Tōkai PR for the Liberal Democratic Party.

Early Racing Career

Sakon Yamamoto was born in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. He started his racing journey in 1994 at the Suzuka Circuit Racing School, learning about Karting. He then moved up through different racing levels. In 2005, he became a test driver for the Jordan Formula One team for one race weekend in Japan.

Formula One Adventures

Sakon Yamamoto had an interesting career in Formula One, racing for a few different teams.

Driving for Super Aguri (2006)

In June 2006, Sakon Yamamoto joined the Super Aguri F1 team. He started as a test driver, helping the main drivers during practice sessions. He later replaced another driver at the German Grand Prix. His first few races were tough, with mechanical problems and crashes.

At the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, he had a tire problem during qualifying. This incident affected other drivers, including Fernando Alonso. Yamamoto had to start the race from the pit lane and later retired due to hydraulic issues.

He finally finished a race at the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix, coming in sixteenth place. He ended the 2006 season with three finishes in a row, showing improvement. However, he did not get a full-time racing spot for 2007. He stayed on as a test driver for Super Aguri. He also raced in the 2007 GP2 Series season.

Yamamoto driving the Super Aguri SA06 at the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Racing with Spyker (2007)

In July 2007, Sakon Yamamoto joined the Spyker F1 team for the rest of the 2007 Formula One season. He crashed in his first race for Spyker in Hungary. After that, he usually finished races in last place. However, he did finish ahead of Jarno Trulli at the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix. He also had a crash with Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix. After the 2007 season, he did not race for Spyker again.

Yamamoto driving for Spyker F1 at the 2007 Italian Grand Prix.

Test Driver for Renault (2008)

In February 2008, Yamamoto was announced as a test driver for the Renault F1 Team. His role was mainly for public demonstrations, not for actual circuit testing.

Return to GP2 Racing (2008–2009)

Yamamoto racing for ART Grand Prix in Sepang.

Yamamoto returned to the GP2 series in the middle of the 2008 season. He joined the ART Grand Prix team. He scored his first points outside Japan by finishing fourth in a sprint race in Hungary. He continued with ART for the 2008–09 GP2 Asia Series. He finished ninth in the championship, earning a podium finish in Shanghai.

Time with HRT (2010)

In April 2010, the Hispania Racing team announced Yamamoto as their test and reserve driver. He helped the team develop their car. He raced in seven Grand Prix events for HRT in 2010. He replaced Bruno Senna at the 2010 British Grand Prix and Karun Chandhok at the 2010 German Grand Prix.

At the 2010 Italian Grand Prix, he had an incident in the pit lane where his car hit a mechanic. He was later replaced by another driver for some races due to reported food poisoning. He returned for the Japanese and Korean Grands Prix, finishing 16th and 15th respectively.

Reserve Driver for Virgin (2011)

In March 2011, Marussia Virgin Racing announced Yamamoto as their reserve driver for the first three races of the 2011 season.

Life After Formula One

After his Formula One career, Sakon Yamamoto continued racing in other series and also focused on new paths.

Formula E Racing

Yamamoto raced in Formula E in 2015 for the Amlin Aguri team. He competed in two races in London. He faced challenges with his car's battery and had a collision in one race. He finished the season without scoring any points.

Super Formula Lights

In 2020, Yamamoto participated in the final round of the 2020 Super Formula Lights series. He achieved his best finish of seventh place in one of the races.

Beyond Racing

Sakon Yamamoto has not raced full-time since his Formula E appearances. He has focused on a career in medicine and social welfare. In 2012, he became the head of a medical and social welfare organization in Japan. His work focuses on improving the well-being of older people. He also gives lectures and supports schools in this field. He still stays connected to racing by working in broadcasting and media.

On October 31, 2021, he was elected to the Japanese House of Representatives, serving until October 2024.

Racing Highlights

Here is a summary of Sakon Yamamoto's racing career:

‡ Team standings.

See also

In Spanish: Sakon Yamamoto para niños