Who is Japan's Greatest Ever Driver?

[BootsOntheSide]

I've a feeling this has been discussed before, but if it did, either the search engine missed it, or it didn't have 'Japan' or 'Japanese' in the title. Anyway, the question has emerged as a sideline in the 'best drivers never to win debate', with Sato, Katayama, Hasemi and Hoshino all mentioned.

Ukyo's successful 1994 season has been mentioned (by myself), as has the fact that he nearly got the Benetton ride which went to Herbert for 1995. However, for most of his career he struggled to match team-mates, both in F1 and below, and Hoshino was much stronger in F3000. As the guys from pre-Nakajima never got a regular run on the international stage (perhaps because they didn't leave their homelands to do European junior championships), it's hard to know exactly how good they were.

[marcus]

Tough debate.

But Im the worlds biggest Katayama Fan so he will win every time in my book.

this man has been brilliant in every aspect of his life not just motorsport and i admire him for his tenacity on keeping going despite adversity.

I didnt know about the bennetton thing though ??

OMG I would of been in absolute heaven

GO UKYO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Valve Bounce]

There was one fellow, way back who crashed his car during practice for the Japanese GP, and rebuilt the car from a wreck himself to race it the next day. Can't remember his name, but that must be an achievement beyond the comprehension of current day F1 drivers, I suppose.

[pirenzo]

Was that the black thing based on a Tyrrell 007? Began with a K the name of the car I think...

[marcus]

kojima perhaps ?

[Raven]

Out of the Japanese drivers I've seen: Sato, Takagi, and katayama, I'd say Takuma Sato has a lot more going for him as a total package. A bit more experience and I could see him doing what Button did this season.

[pirenzo]

that's the one marcus Really strange looking thing, Fuji '77 I think.

[gttouring]

Masouka!
RallyRaid King

[nsxr]

Motoyama or Hoshino are tied for the best. A mention has to the late Daijiro Kato the MotoGP rider. I had a feeling great things were about to start coming out of him. It's too early to give the nod to sato , but I'am a huge Sato fan. I hope he wins a gp in '05

[Hazza]

Aguri Suzuki?

As for bikes, most of them by force of law looked pale compared to Doohan. But Ukawa, Itoh, Nakano et al all arer pretty nifty behind the bars.

[MikeHoyer]

I can only really say Sato, as he's the only one that I've watched "live". He's got quite a lot going for him, he's fast, aggressive, he just needs to make sure that he is consistently doing the right thing, and not so many moves like the one on Barrichello at the Nurburgring.

[marcus]

I must admit (being a big Ukyo Fan that I am) that sato is looking more and more a likely lad.

time will tewll if he will take Ukyo's mantle in my mind but he's made a damm good start

[Led ZeppF1]

For me, Takuma Sato.

[RWC]

Originally Posted by Raven

Out of the Japanese drivers I've seen: Sato, Takagi, and katayama, I'd say Takuma Sato has a lot more going for him as a total package. A bit more experience and I could see him doing what Button did this season.

Being too lazy and tired to write much right now-i agree with these comments
Sadly we don't get to see much of the jap drivers on screen so it's abit hard to judge

[Kicking-back]

Sato's by far the best.

He went to the UK early in his career and came up through that system.

Over the years there have been many Japanese drivers who excel in their homeland but don't travel well - Tora Takagi being an obvious example in recent years.

[ensign14]

I think Hoshino and Hasemi could have done really good things had they been given the chance. But I am a big fan of Taku and think that he is the best Japan has produced. Given a decent following wind, and more experience to tame his exuberance where appropriate, he is genuinely a potential World Champ - certainly a potential race winner.

[Marshal]

No question, its got to be Sato

[Dani Filth]

not F1 . Kenjiro Shinozuka

[luke]

Sato is the best and will win in the future, certainly a future star.

Aguri Suzuki was better in my book, hence before this year with Sato, he was the only Japanese driver to stand on the podium.

Tora' Takagi. Fast and promising, yet he wasn't consistent and didn't seem to grasp the hook.
Similar to his current IRL performance.

[Kicking-back]

Masanori Sekiya and Seiji Ara have both won Le Mans.

[f1manoz]

Katayama had one, maybe two decent seasons in F1 - 1992 where he acquitted himself well in the Larrousse alongside Gachot and 1994 where he excelled in the Tyrrell. Other than that, he did nothing of note, except slide off the track occassionally, get in the way sometimes and generally be at the back.

Suzuki? No, one fortunate podium doesn't make him great. Nakajima? Not a chance. Takagi? Fast, but too wild and inconsistent.

Sato is certainly the best to come out of Japan so far, his junior pedigree is superb and he has all the qualities of a future race winner.

[MikeHoyer]

Takagi never really got much of a chance to prove himself in F1, bad teams all the time he was there. He's doing reasonably well in the IRL isn't he?

[Steve Wilkinson]

How about Tetsu Ikusawa?

Top Japanese driver in Europe for three years!

[Hazard]

Takagi I think did well in F1. He was a good performer in the Tyrrell in 1998 with absolutlely no development (BAR takeover in progress) - and was on equal footing with de la Rosa at Arrows.

His CART years were more successful than his IRL ones. I believe he was probably the most underperforming driver in the IRL in 2004, he's not liking them circles.

[Kicking-back]

He did well until a qualifying shunt at Motegi this year. It seems to have scared in. In 2003 he was often at the front of the pack.