Japan has its own share of racing driversTakuma Sato is one of the best. The professional racing driver who is the first Japanese to win an IndyCar race has had a career that has seen him compete in different series including the Masters of Formula 3 and Formula One. Through it all, he has several titles under his belt while also setting a few records. Here is everything to know about him.
Takuma Sato – Biography
Takuma Sato was born on January 28, 1977 in his home country of Japan and it was there that he was raised. As a child, he fell in love with racing, so decided to start with what he had access to: a bicycle. His dream of becoming a racing driver began when he first saw the sport at the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka in 1987.
While in high school and college, he raced bicycles and even became a National High School Cycling Champion. The most important thing for him, however, when he was in school was to learn about cars and racing.
At 19, he entered the Suzuka Racing School, but was forced to leave because of the age limit which specified that one had to be under 20 to attend school. So, unlike many others who started their careers as young children, he started when he was 20 years old. Even though he knew it was quite late to start, he still tried.
Takuma Sato was able to buy his first trolley in 1996 and by 1998 he had worked his way into the Japanese Formula 3 championship but soon left for Europe with not a word of English on his tongue to pursue his dream. There, he had a pretty good junior campaign, progressing quite fast.
His first romance with Formula One was in 2001 when he was testing for BAR, it was with Jordan that he would sign a contract in 2002, although he impressed BAR. He finished fifth in the Grand Prix at Suzuka before joining the bar in 2003, a position he held until 2005. In 2006 he joined the Super Aguri F1 team. He raced for the team until 2009.
His biggest success came in the IndyCar series where he made his debut in 2010 for the KV Racing Technology team, although he didn’t have a perfect start, finishing in 21st place. He joined Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in 2012 and then AJ Foyt Enterprises in 2013. It was here that he recorded his first IndyCar victory the same year.
He remained with the team until he joined Andretti Autosport for the 2017 season. There, he won the Indianapolis 500 points, making him the first Japanese and non-Caucasian driver to earn the feat. He also won two pole positions this year before winning his third career race in 2018 with a 500 win at Indianapolis under his belt.
Family – wife
With a racing life that eclipsed almost every other part of his life, not much is known about Takuma Sato’s family. Nevertheless, it is known that his parents always supported him, even if his mother was worried about the dangerousness of this sport.
The former Formula 1 racing driver is married to Chiharu Sato. Without really knowing how they met, we know that the two men were more than two years old before deciding to get married in 2005.
The union was blessed with two children, a boy and a girl. While the boy was born in 2006, the girl was born in 2008 at the Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco.
Net value
Although he hasn’t spent his entire life behind the wheel as a professional pilot, Takuma Sato has done a lot for himself considering how much he has achieved. In 2017, when he won the Indianapolis 500m, he took home over $2.4 million. Although the amount he won at the 2018 Portland Grand Prix is not known, it will be significant. That said, his overall net worth is still under consideration.
Height and width
Takuma Sato isn’t the tallest or most built man you’ll find behind the wheels, although he is worthy of the name. He stands at a height of 1.64m and weighs 59kg.