Takuma Sato facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The native form of this personal name is Satō Takuma. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Quick facts for kids

Takuma Sato

佐藤琢磨

Sato at the 2021 Grand Prix of Long Beach

Born

28 January 1977 (age 48)

Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Spouse(s)

Chiharu

(m. 2005)

Children

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

2024 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)

First win

2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach)

Last win

2020 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)

Wins	Podiums	Poles
6	14	10

Formula One World Championship career

Nationality

Japanese

Active years

2002–2008

Teams

Jordan, BAR, Super Aguri

Entries

92 (90 starts)

Championships

Wins

Podiums

Career points

Pole positions

Fastest laps

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

Takuma "Taku" Sato (Japanese: 佐藤琢磨, Hepburn: Satō Takuma, born 28 January 1977) is a Japanese racing driver. He races part-time in the IndyCar Series for RLL. Sato also competed in Formula One from 2002 to 2008.

In American open-wheel racing, Sato is famous for winning the Indianapolis 500 twice. He won in 2017 and 2020. He is the only Asian driver to ever win this big event.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Sato started his racing journey in karting. He moved to Europe in 1999 with help from Honda. He quickly moved up to Formula Three racing. In 2001, he won the British Championship. He also won the Macau Grand Prix and the Masters of Formula 3.

Sato joined the Jordan Formula One team in 2002. He later moved to BAR in 2003. In 2004, he got his only podium finish in Formula One at the United States Grand Prix. He finished eighth in the championship, which was his best result. After some tough years, Sato joined Super Aguri in 2006. The team faced money problems and left Formula One in 2008.

After a break, Sato returned to racing in the IndyCar Series in 2010. He won his first IndyCar race at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2013. This made him the first Asian driver to win an IndyCar race. He joined Andretti in 2017 and won his first Indianapolis 500. He won more races with RLL and then won the Indianapolis 500 again in 2020. Sato raced for DCR in 2022. Since 2023, he has been racing part-time.

Fans and media around the world love Sato. He is known for his exciting driving style and his famous motto: "No Attack, No Chance".

Takuma Sato's Early Racing Days

Takuma Sato started karting in Japan when he was 19 years old. After winning the national karting title in 1997, he moved to Europe. He raced in smaller series before joining the British Formula 3 Championship in 1999.

In 2000, he raced for Carlin Motorsport. He won four races and finished third in the championship. In 2001, he had an amazing year. He won 12 out of 26 races and became the first Japanese driver to win the British Formula 3 title. That same year, he also won the important Macau Grand Prix and the Masters of Formula 3 races.

Takuma Sato's Formula One Career

Racing for Jordan in 2002

In 2002, Sato moved up to Formula One with the Jordan team. Their cars used Honda engines. He showed flashes of speed but also had some crashes. His best race was at his home Grand Prix in Suzuka, where he finished fifth.

Time with BAR (2003–2005)

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

Honda then focused on the BAR team. Sato joined BAR in 2003 as a test driver. For the last race in Japan, he replaced another driver and finished sixth. This earned him more championship points.

In 2004, Sato became a full-time driver for BAR. He often started races from the top three positions. At the United States Grand Prix, he made history. He finished third, earning his first-ever podium finish in Formula One. This was the first time a Japanese driver had been on the podium since 1990. He finished eighth in the championship, which was the best result for a Japanese driver in Formula One at that time. His efforts helped BAR-Honda finish second in the Constructors' Championship.

Sato stayed with BAR-Honda for the 2005 season. However, the car was not as good as the year before. He missed one race due to illness. The team also faced problems with their cars being too light, which led to them being banned from two races. Sato only scored points once that season, finishing eighth in Hungary. He was not kept on for the 2006 season.

Joining Super Aguri (2006–2008)

For 2006, Sato joined the new Super Aguri F1 team. This team was like a smaller Honda team. Even with older car designs, Sato's reputation grew because he was professional and competitive. By the end of 2006, he was racing faster than some other teams. In the final race in Brazil, he finished tenth, just missing out on points.

In 2007, Super Aguri's cars improved a lot. Sato scored the team's first point at the Spanish Grand Prix. At the Canadian Grand Prix, he finished sixth. He made an amazing move, passing Fernando Alonso's McLaren car. This pass was cheered by fans and won him the "Overtake of the Year" award.

The team started having money problems in 2008. After only four races, Super Aguri had to leave Formula One. This left Sato without a racing seat. Later in 2008, Sato tested for another team, Scuderia Toro Rosso. He even set the fastest time on one day of testing. But he did not get a full-time racing spot.

Takuma Sato's IndyCar Career

Racing with KV Racing Technology (2010–2011)

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

In 2010, Takuma Sato started racing in the IndyCar Series with KV Racing Technology. He finished 21st in his first season. In 2011, he got better, finishing in the top five three times. He also started from the pole position (first place) twice.

Time with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2012)

In the 2012 Indianapolis 500, Sato raced for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. On the very last lap, he tried to pass Dario Franchitti to win the race. He didn't succeed, but fans respected him for trying to win until the very end.

Driving for A. J. Foyt Enterprises (2013–2016)

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.

In 2013, Sato joined A. J. Foyt's team. In the third race of the season, the Grand Prix of Long Beach, Sato won his first IndyCar race. This was his 52nd start in the series. He became the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race. He stayed with the team until the end of 2016.

Success with Andretti Autosport (2017)

Takuma Sato after winning the Indianapolis 500 on 28 May 2017

Sato joined Andretti Autosport for the 2017 season. He made history by becoming the first Asian driver to win the famous Indianapolis 500. After this big win, he also earned pole positions at races in Detroit and Pocono.

Returning to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2018–2021)

In 2018, Sato rejoined RLL. He won his third career race at the Portland Grand Prix. He started from 20th place and drove a great race to win. In 2019, Sato started the season with a win at Barber Motorsports Park. He also won later that season at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

On August 23, 2020, Sato won the Indianapolis 500 for the second time. He started from the front row and drove to victory. On October 5, 2021, it was announced that Sato would leave the team for the 2022 season.

Racing for Dale Coyne Racing (2022)

Sato during the 2022 XPEL 375

On December 9, 2021, Sato signed with Dale Coyne Racing for the 2022 season. He finished 25th at the Indianapolis 500 that year.

Part-time with Chip Ganassi Racing (2023)

Chip Ganassi Racing signed Sato to race only in the oval races for the 2023 season. 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)

On March 18, 2024, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced that Sato would try to win his third Indianapolis 500 on May 26. This was his only planned IndyCar race for the 2024 season. He finished fourteenth.

Other Racing Adventures

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 first race of the 2013 season, which was renamed Super Formula. He later returned to race in the last three races of 2013 and scored his first points.

Formula E

In 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.

Awards and Recognitions

In 2024, Takuma Sato became the first Japanese-born driver to be honored with a spot on the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame.

Personal Life

Takuma Sato is married to Chiharu Sato, and they have two children. His oldest child, Rintaro Sato, started his own racing career in 2024. During the racing season, Sato lives in Carmel, Indiana. In the off-season, he spends time in Japan. When he was in high school, Sato was a national cycling champion. He still uses cycling to stay fit for his racing career.

Images for kids

Sato celebrates his only Formula One podium finish, at the 2004 United States Grand Prix.
Sato driving for KV Racing at the 2011 Indy Japan 300.
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.
Takuma Sato after winning the Indianapolis 500 on 28 May 2017
Sato during the 2022 XPEL 375