Takuma Sato

Takuma Sato is a Japanese driver with an extensive career in Formula 1 and IndyCar. To date, the driver has won six IndyCar races, including the Indy 500 in 2017 and 2020.

Sato's Early Career

Takuma Sato began his career in karting and quickly moved to England to compete in various Formula categories. Midway through the 1999 season, he started racing in British Formula 3, where he competed for the full season over the next two years. During this time, he won sixteen races, finished third in 2000, and claimed the championship title in 2001. That same year, he also won the F3 race in Macau and the Masters of Formula 3 in Zandvoort.

Formula 1 Debut

In 2002, the Japanese driver competed in Formula 1. With financial backing from Honda, Sato made his F1 debut with the Jordan team. Sato proved to be a fast but reckless driver, with the low point being a major crash at the A1 Ring, where he was struck by Nick Heidfeld's car. In 2003, ‘Taku’ became a test driver for Lucky Strike BAR Honda and replaced Jacques Villeneuve in the final race of the season in Japan, where he finished sixth.

In 2004, he raced full-time for BAR and achieved a third-place finish in the United States Grand Prix. Despite significant mechanical issues, he finished eighth in the championship that year. The following year, the car was far less competitive, making 2005 a very disappointing season for various reasons. Between 2006 and 2008, Sato drove for the Super Aguri team. This private team, powered by Honda engines, struggled to compete. Midway through 2008, the team was dissolved, marking the end of Sato’s F1 career.

Switch to IndyCar

After attending the Indy 500 in 2009, Sato signed with KV Racing Technology for the 2010 IndyCar season. In this series as well, the Japanese driver was fast but prone to crashes. That year, he finished 21st in the standings. In 2011, still racing for KV Racing, Sato achieved three top-five finishes and ended the season in 13th place.

In 2012, he secured a seat with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. During the Indy 500, he crashed in the penultimate lap while battling for the lead. With two podium finishes, including a second-place finish in Edmonton, he ended the season in 14th place. At the end of the season, he returned to Japan to compete in a few Formula Nippon races.

First IndyCar Victory

In 2013, Sato moved to A.J. Foyt's team. After coming close several times, he finally claimed his first victory in Long Beach. This made him the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race. In the next race, he finished second. That year, he ended the season in 17th place.

After four years with A.J. Foyt, Sato signed with Andretti Autosport for the 2017 season. This turned out to be a memorable year. In addition to finishing eighth in the championship standings – his first top-10 finish – Sato achieved his second IndyCar victory. He became the first Japanese driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500.

Success with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Despite his success in 2017, Sato did not stay with Andretti. In 2018, he returned to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, the team he had driven for in 2012. Although the season as a whole was not his strongest, Sato demonstrated his worth by securing his third IndyCar victory in Portland. Just as in 2018 and 2019, Sato was also Graham Rahal's teammate in 2020. He had a very successful season, with eight top-10 finishes in thirteen races. The highlight was his second Indianapolis 500 victory. Sato ended the season in seventh place in the standings, his best finish in the NTT IndyCar Series to date.

Final Years in IndyCar

In 2021, Sato again raced for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Although he achieved eight top-10 finishes in sixteen races, he experienced his first winless season since 2016. A fourth-place finish in the first race at Belle Isle Park in Detroit was the highlight of the year.

At the end of the season, he lost his seat to rookie Christian Lundgaard. For 2022, Sato found a home with Dale Coyne Racing. Despite four top-10 finishes, he failed to make a strong enough impression to have his contract renewed. In 2023, he competed in oval races for Chip Ganassi Racing. Although he had competitive equipment, Sato crashed out of two of the five races. His best result was a seventh-place finish in the Indianapolis 500.

Return to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

After one season with Ganassi, Sato once again had to look for a seat. He found one with his old team, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, though only for the Indy 500. Despite Rahal having an uncompetitive package, Sato outpaced his three full-time teammates in both qualifying and the race, finishing 14th.