Takuma Sato Joins Jordan

Takuma Sato

Nationality:	Japanese
Date of Birth:	28 January 1977
Place of Birth:	Tokyo
Lives:	Marlow, England
Marital Status:	Single
Height:	1.63 m
Weight:	60 kg
Hobbies:	Cycling and food

1997	Karting Champion - Honda Suzuka Racing School Scholarship, winning a fully paid drive in the 1998 All-Japan Formula 3 Championship.
1998	Car racing debut at Snetterton in the Formula Vauxhall Junior championship, graduating to Formula Opel at the end of the year, both with Diamond Racing.
1999	EFDA Formula Opel Euroseries – competed in selected rounds, winning the opening race of the season at Donington. Finished 6^th place in the championship. Moved to British F3 Championship in Class B mid-season with Diamond Racing.
2000	British F3 – Carlin Motorsport. Victory at 4 championship races and won the Spa round of the French F3 championship. Finished 3^rd in the championship.
2001	British F3 Champion – Carlin Motorsport. 12 race wins, as well as victories in the Marlboro Masters of F3 at Zandvoort and the International F3 race supporting the British Grand Prix. F1 Test Driver for British American Racing.
2002	F1 debut with Jordan Grand Prix.

Only six years ago, Takuma Sato was a teenaged bicycle racer in Japan, dreaming that his two-wheeled chain-driven mount was a powerful racing car. Now that dream has become reality, as he stands on the verge of a glittering Formula 1 career.

In 1996, Sato scraped together what money he had to buy a kart and, the following year, to enter Honda's Suzuka Racing School scholarship. He won the prize, a fully paid drive in the 1998 All-Japan Formula 3 Championship, but passed it up in order to pursue his desire of reaching Formula One. To do that he had to go to Europe.

Arriving in mid '98, he contested a handful of Formula Vauxhall Junior races, mainly with the small Diamond Racing team, then at the end of the year graduated with Diamond to Formula Opel. In '99, his first full year of car racing, he took sixth place in the hotly contested EFDA Formula Opel Euroseries, and also competed in the last few rounds of the British F3 Championship in Class B.

Sato joined Carlin Motorsport for 2000 to compete in the F3 'A' class, winning a total of five races and taking third place in the British championship. By now he had been noticed by Grand Prix teams, and in December got his first F1 tests with Jordan and British American Racing. BAR signed him as a test driver for 2001, and he also became contracted to Honda for the first time.

Remaining in F3 for 2001, Sato started the season as clear favourite for the British championship, with good reason. He sped to 12 wins, as well as victories in the Marlboro Masters of F3 at Zandvoort and the international race supporting the British Grand Prix. Combined with his successes in 2000, Sato broke the record for wins in the British F3 Championship. He also impressed with his test outings for BAR, which took place mainly at Silverstone and Mugello.

Now aged 24, Sato’s racing talent and achievements have paved his way to enter Formula One with Jordan Grand Prix in 2002.

What does it mean to you to become a Formula 1 driver?

How has your Formula 1 testing been, initially with Jordan and then with BAR?

How important do you think it is to Honda to get a Japanese driver into Formula 1?

You have a reputation for being a driver who never backs off. Will you carry on like this in F1?

Which circuits do you know in F1?

What does it mean to you to become a Formula 1 driver?

"It is an incredible feeling to do it so soon in my career. OK, I am 24 now, but my parents were not interested in motor racing so I could only race bicycles as a boy. Compare that to my Formula 3 team-mate, Anthony Davidson, who had done more than a thousand kart races before he came into cars.

I did just two years of karting in Japan, then made my own way into car racing and put everything I had into going to Europe. I am so happy now - and so are my parents! Hopefully this gives some encouragement to other people out there who want to race but know that it will be difficult."

How has your Formula 1 testing been, initially with Jordan and then with BAR?

"Always I try everything to go as fast as I can, and I am happy that I have done that in every test. It's my way of approaching racing - everything to the maximum. That is the best way you can decide that what you are testing works.

It has been great to work first with Jordan and then with BAR, even though it has been frustrating to mainly do 'long-distance' runs rather than qualifying runs. But that was my job and now I have been rewarded! It has been a great experience to work with BAR - working with the test team engineer, Pete Harrison, and Jock Clear has given me a good start in F1."

How important do you think it is to Honda to get a Japanese driver into Formula 1?

"It's important, but not everything. My deal is with Jordan and Eddie has signed me because he believes that I am the best driver for the job. It's nothing to do with Honda, although I am proud to represent the company. Obviously I have been under contract to Honda for this year but that has been completely independent of my BAR test deal and my new life at Jordan."

You have a reputation for being a driver who never backs off. Will you carry on like this in F1?

"Of course. I think that is one reason why there is so much interest in me and why I have such a following in Britain. It's my instinct. If I see any gap I go for it, whether for the lead or for 10th place. At first sometimes I had accidents because of that, but my racecraft has improved as I get more experience."

Which circuits do you know in F1?

"I have raced at Silverstone and Spa - both fantastic, fast circuits which I enjoy a lot in F3. Also I have raced at the Nurburgring and at the old Hockenheim in Formula Opel, and tested an F1 car at Barcelona. Suzuka is another circuit familiar to me from the racing school, but I think I will be going a bit quicker next time I drive there. I was supposed to race my F3 car at Magny-Cours this weekend, but obviously I now have another commitment! I never have a problem with new tracks though."

Pictures courtesy of the Honda F1 Press Office and Sutton Motorsport Images.