Takuma Sato facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Takuma Sato
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| 佐藤 琢磨 | |||||||
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Sato at the 2021 Grand Prix of Long Beach
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| Born | 28 January 1977 Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Spouse(s) |
Chiharu
(m. 2005) |
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| Children | 2 | ||||||
| IndyCar Series career | |||||||
| 221 races run over 15 years | |||||||
| Team(s) | No. 75 (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) | ||||||
| Best finish | 7th (2020) | ||||||
| First race | 2010 São Paulo Indy 300 (São Paulo) | ||||||
| Last race | 2025 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| First win | 2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach) | ||||||
| Last win | 2020 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
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| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Nationality |  Japanese |
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| 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 | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| 2017, 2020 2001 2001 2001 |
Indianapolis 500 Macau Grand Prix Masters of Formula 3 British Formula Three |
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Takuma "Taku" Sato (born January 28, 1977) is a Japanese race car driver. He races part-time in the IndyCar Series for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Sato also competed in Formula One from 2002 to 2008. He is famous for winning the Indianapolis 500 twice, in 2017 and 2020. He is the only Asian driver to have won this big race.
Takuma was born in Tokyo, Japan. He started his racing journey in karting. In 1999, he moved to Europe with help from Honda. He quickly moved up to Formula Three racing. In 2001, he won the British Formula 3 Championship. He also won the important Macau Grand Prix and the Masters of Formula 3 that year.
Sato joined the Jordan team in Formula One in 2002. He later moved to BAR in 2003. In 2004, he achieved his only podium finish in Formula One at the 2004 United States Grand Prix. He finished eighth in the championship that year, which was the best result for a Japanese driver at the time. After some tough times at BAR, Sato joined Super Aguri in 2006. The Super Aguri team had money problems and stopped racing in 2008. This ended Sato's Formula One career.
After a break, Sato returned to racing in the IndyCar Series in 2010. He became the first Asian driver to win an IndyCar race in 2013 at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He won the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in 2017. He won it again in 2020. Since 2023, Sato has been racing part-time.
Fans and media around the world really like Sato. He is known for his exciting driving style and his famous saying: No Attack, No Chance.
Contents
Early Racing Days
Takuma Sato started karting in Japan when he was 19 years old. In 1997, he won the national karting title. After that, he moved to Europe with support from Honda.
He raced briefly in smaller series before joining the British Formula 3 Championship in 1999. In 2000, he won four races and finished third in the championship. The next year, in 2001, he had an amazing season. He won 12 out of 26 races and became the first Japanese driver to win the championship. That same year, he also won the famous Macau Grand Prix and the Masters of Formula 3 races.
Formula One Career
Racing for Jordan (2002)
In 2002, Sato moved up to Formula One with the Jordan team. His car used a Honda engine. He showed flashes of speed but also had some crashes. A big crash happened in Austria when another car hit his. However, he finished fifth at his home race in Japan, which was a great result for the team.
Time at BAR (2003–2005)
In 2003, Sato joined the BAR team as a test driver. This team also used Honda engines. For the last race of 2003 in Japan, Sato replaced another driver and finished sixth. This earned him points for the second time in his career.
He became a full-time driver for BAR in 2004. That year, Sato often started races from the top three positions. He even started on the front row at the 2004 European Grand Prix. His aggressive driving style paid off at the 2004 United States Grand Prix. He finished third, which was his first podium finish in Formula One. It was also the first podium for a Japanese driver since 1990. Sato finished eighth in the championship with 34 points, which was the best result for a Japanese driver in Formula One at that time. His efforts helped BAR-Honda finish second in the team championship.
Sato stayed with BAR-Honda for the 2005 season. However, the car was not as good as the year before. Sato had a tough season and only scored points once, finishing eighth at the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix. He did not continue with the team in 2006.
Joining Super Aguri (2006–2008)
In 2006, Sato joined the new Super Aguri team. This team was run by former Japanese driver Aguri Suzuki. Super Aguri was like a smaller Honda team. Even though they used older car designs at first, Sato's reputation grew because of his professional attitude. By the end of 2006, Sato was driving faster than some other teams.
In 2007, Super Aguri's performance got much better. Sato scored the team's first point at the 2007 Spanish Grand Prix. At the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, Sato finished sixth. He made an amazing overtake on Fernando Alonso near the end of the race. This move was cheered by fans and won him the "Overtake of the Year" award.
The team started having money problems in 2008. Super Aguri had to leave Formula One after only four races that year. This left Sato without a team. Later in 2008, Sato tested for another team, Scuderia Toro Rosso, but he did not get a full-time spot.
IndyCar Career
KV Racing Technology (2010–2011)
Takuma Sato visited the Indianapolis 500 in 2009. In 2010, he signed with KV Racing Technology to race in the IndyCar Series. He finished 21st in his first season. In 2011, he improved a lot, getting three top-five finishes and two pole positions. He finished 13th overall.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2012)
In 2012, Sato raced for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. At the 2012 Indianapolis 500, he tried to pass Dario Franchitti for the win on the very last lap. He didn't succeed, but fans respected him for trying to win until the very end.
A. J. Foyt Enterprises (2013–2016)
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For the 2013 season, Sato joined A. J. Foyt's team. In the third race of the season at Long Beach, Sato won his first IndyCar race. This made him the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar event. He had six top-five finishes and two pole positions during his time with the team, which ended in 2016.
Andretti Autosport (2017)
Sato joined Andretti Autosport for the 2017 season. He made history by becoming the first Asian driver to win the 2017 Indianapolis 500. After this big win, he also earned pole positions at races in Detroit and Pocono.
Return to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2018–2021)
In August 2017, it was announced that Sato would return to RLL for the 2018 season. He had a mixed season in 2018, with some crashes. However, he finished in the top three at Iowa. He also won his third career IndyCar race at Portland, starting from 20th place.
Sato started his 2019 season with a win at Barber Motorsports Park. He won convincingly after starting from pole position. He later won another race at Gateway.
On August 23, 2020, Sato won the 2020 Indianapolis 500 for the second time. This was a huge achievement. On October 5, 2021, it was announced that Sato would leave the team for the 2022 season.
Dale Coyne Racing (2022)
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On December 9, 2021, Sato signed with Dale Coyne Racing for the 2022 season. He finished 25th at the 2022 Indianapolis 500.
Chip Ganassi Racing (2023)
In 2023, Sato joined Chip Ganassi Racing to race only on oval tracks. This was the first time since 2010 that he did not have a full-time IndyCar seat.
Second Return to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2024–present)
On March 18, 2024, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced that Sato would rejoin the team just for the Indianapolis 500. He finished 14th in the 2024 race.
Sato returned to RLL for the 2025 Indianapolis 500. He qualified in second place, showing great speed. He led 51 laps, more than any other driver in the race. He was in a strong position to win, but a mistake during a pit stop on lap 86 cost him time. He finished 11th on track, which was later changed to ninth place.
Other Racing Series
Formula Nippon / Super Formula
In 2012, Sato raced in the last three rounds of the 2012 Formula Nippon season with Team Mugen. He also raced with them in the 2013 season, which was renamed Super Formula. He scored his first points in this series by finishing eighth in the final race of 2013.
Formula E
In November 2013, Sato became a test driver for the FIA Formula E Championship. In September 2014, he raced in the first-ever Formula E race, the 2014 Beijing ePrix. He set the fastest lap in that race, but had to stop early due to mechanical problems. This was Sato's only Formula E race, making him the only driver in the series' history with a 100% fastest lap record.
Honors
In 2024, Takuma Sato was honored by being added to the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame.
Personal Life
Takuma Sato is married to Chiharu Sato, and they have two children. Their oldest child, Rintaro Sato, started his own racing career in 2024. During the racing season, Takuma lives in Carmel, Indiana with his manager, Steve Fusek. He spends the offseason in Japan. Sato was a national cycling champion in high school. He still uses cycling to stay fit for his racing career.
Images for kids
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Sato at the 2021 Grand Prix of Long Beach
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Sato celebrates his only Formula One podium finish, at the 2004 United States Grand Prix.
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Sato driving the Super Aguri SA07 in 2007. He scored the team's only points.
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Sato driving for KV Racing Technology at the 2011 Indy Japan 300.
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Sato at the 2013 Grand Prix of Long Beach, where he took his first IndyCar win and became the first Japanese driver to do so.
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Takuma Sato after winning the Indianapolis 500 on 28 May 2017
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Sato during the 2022 XPEL 375
See also
In Spanish: Takuma Satō para niños
