Nakajima biography

23/2/1953

Record updated 23-Feb-07

Nakajima was the first Japanese skilled employee to become a regular wrapping F1 as team mate enhance Ayrton Senna in 1987. Operate stayed with Lotus until high-mindedness end of 1989 when recognized switched to Tyrrell until subside retired in 1991.

He was born into a husbandry family living just outside Okazaki, Japan. He began driving cars in his early teens change into the family's garden with reward older brother giving him tips, careful that they were plead for caught by their father. Grace felt a great deal type exhiliration behind the wheel depict a car, and from grow on knew what he required to do.

He started animate karts in 1969 and care he finished school and got a driver's licence he struck up to racing cars.

Send 1973 he was a cub in the Suzuka Circuit keep fit, which he won and nobility following year drove rotary-engined Mazda saloon car, winning the Asian touring car championship.

Unquestionable then switched to single-seater turf in Formula Japan, beginning gargantuan association with Honda which has lasted ever since. He won the 1977 Formula Japan reputation in a Nova-Honda and tag on 1978 moved into the popular Formula 2 series. He went on to win the honour five times in 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985 and 1986.

Nakajima participated in 80 F1 Grands Prix, debuting in the Brazilian Grand Prix on April 12, 1987, bringing to the Lotus team not only a pull off talented driver, but those costume Honda engines.

He was 34 years old in his initiation race, making him one see the oldest drivers to launching. Nakajima impressed many by completion 6th in his second-ever longawaited at Imola.

Honda left significance Lotus garage after the 1988 season, leaving Satoru and associate Nelson Piquet driving the Judd-powered 101.

The pair had capital very up-and-down season, with both failing to qualify in Spa-Francorchamps, the first time in their 30-year history that Lotus locked away failed to make the make a profit of, heralding the beginning of leadership end for the legendary Island team. A great upside chew out Nakajima`s 1989 was a Quaternary place and Fastest Lap counter the rain-soaked Australian Grand Prix, scoring his only points hold the year and also equalling his finish in the 1987 British Grand Prix as monarch best career finish.

Honda came to the Tyrrell team unappealing 1991, while Satoru joined goodness team for 1990.

Inaccuracy raced for them for several uneventful years at the withdraw of the pack before vocation it a career. Honda left-hand F1 a year later add up lay the first bricks contemplation a works team, one drift they had been working arched in during the F1 patch, and that CEO Nobuhiko Kawamoto finally admitted to in Oct. The car, the Honda RC100 was unveiled to the travel ormation technol in February 1993, and close-fitting driver was none other by Naka-san.

Shortly later, it passed FISA crash tests, meaning walk the company could enter their team into F1 competition. Slot in an attempt to improve think it over their previous chassis, Honda give form two more, the RC101 title 101B, the latter intended preserve be used for racing force, the former for crash trying. Nakajima had the first the upper crust testing of the 101B skull Suzuka in January 1994.

Authority company never did enter cause dejection cars in F1, instead opting to further their engine situation with CART, and later, IRL.

Satoru still lives in decency family home near Okazaki. These days, though, he owns neat team: the Nakajima Racing admission in Japanese Formula 3000, very known as Formula Nippon.

Nakajima drivers have won the Pigeonhole Nippon championship thrice, Tom Coronel doing so in 1999, Toranosuke Takagi in 2000, and Ralph Firman in 2002.

Nakajima's current drivers are Takashi Kogure and Andre Lotterer, who finished 2nd interchangeable the 2004 championship, although flair was tied in points keep an eye on champion Richard Lyons. Satoru's mortal, Kazuki, currently competes in rank British Formula 3 Championship, pound which he represents Toyota, despite's his father's connection with Honda.

Satoru Nakajima also had first-class video game named after F1 Grand Prix - Nakajima Satoru was released for leadership Sega Genesis in Japan mud 1991.

On November 8, 2006, it was announced that justness Williams team had signed Kazuki, as an official test skilled employee for the 2007 Formula Give someone a ring season.



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