Driver Insider
Career Statistics - IZOD IndyCar Series *
| Year | Starts | Wins | Poles ** | Top 5 | Top 10 | Laps Led | Running at Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 61 | 15 |
| 2010 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Total: | 34 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 61 | 23 |
** Includes all poles, including those awarded based on entrant points
Bio
Takuma Sato progressed through the ranks quickly to compete in Formula One and joined the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2010.
Sato, the only Japanese driver competing full time in 2011, moved to Colorado to train at high altitudes and lives in Denver. "Taku" began his career racing bicycles in his native Japan and was a high school champion. Cycling is key in his fitness regimen.
In 1996, he started karting and in 1997 won the Kanto region championship. That same year he entered Suzuka Racing School, where he won a scholarship for the All-Japan Formula 3 Championship. He chose, however, to move to Europe to pursue his ambition of reaching Formula One.
In 1999, his first full year of car racing, Sato competed in Formula Opel Europe and British Formula 3 National Class B for Diamond Racing.
Driver History
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
First start: March 14, 2010 (Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
First pole: June 24, 2011 (Iowa Speedway)
2011
• Finished 13th in IZOD IndyCar Series standings for KV Racing Technology.
• Recorded seven top-10 finishes, with a best of fourth at Mid-Ohio.
• Earned pole positions at Iowa and Edmonton.
• Led four races for total of 61 laps.
2010
• Finished 21st in IZOD IndyCar Series standings for KV Racing Technology.
• Recorded best finish of ninth at Edmonton.
• Had best start of third at Mid-Ohio.
ROAD TO THE IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
2008
• Competed in four Formula One races with Super Aguri F1 Team with best finish of 13th at Catalunya (Spain) Served as test driver for Scuderia Toro Rosso in Formula One.
2007
• Finished 17th in Formula One for Super Aguri F1 with a best finish of sixth at Montreal (Canada).
2006
• Competed in Formula One for Super Aguri F1 with best finish of 10th at Interlagos (Brazil).
2005
• Competed in Formula One for Lucky Strike BAR Honda with best finish of eighth at Hungaroring (Hungary).
2004
• Finished eighth in Formula One for Lucky Strike BAR Honda with best finish of third at the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis.
2003
• Served as Lucky Strike BAR Honda official test driver Finished sixth at Suzuka (Japan) in his only Formula One start as replacement for Jacques Villeneuve.
2002
• Finished 15th in Formula One for DHL Jordan Honda team with best finish of fifth at his home grand prix at Suzuka.
2001
• Won the British Formula 3 championship for Carlin Motorsport with 12 wins, 17 podium finishes and six pole positions in 25 races. Won the famed Macau Grand Prix, Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort and the International F3 race supporting the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Served as test driver for British American Racing.
2000
• Finished third in British Formula 3 for Carlin Motorsport with four wins, six podium finishes and six poles in 12 starts Also competed in French F3 winning at Spa and raced in F3 European Cup races.
1999
• Finished fourth in British Formula 3 National Class for Diamond Racing Finished second in Europa Cup Britian Finished sixth in Formula Open Europe with one win at Donington Park.
1998
• Competed in one All-Japan Formula 3 event with Dome Project Made European racing debut at Snetterton in the Formula Vauxhall Junior Championship before graduating to Formula Opel at the end of the year, both with Diamond Racing.
Early career
• Began racing career on bicycles where he won several national junior championships. Bought his first go kart in 1996 and later entered Honda's Suzuka Racing School where he earned the scholarship prize, a fully paid drive in the 1998 All-Japan Formula 3 Championship. He passed on the prize in order to race in Europe.
