Takuma Sato: “We need a Japanese driver on the grid”

Were you there for fun, for Honda or for Yamamoto?

For all three! I remain very attached to the F1 and it's a great pleasure to find all the guys we met in the 2000s. The paddock has changed, but the atmosphere remains the same. F1 remains F1, it is the most successful of the series car in the world.

How is she doing in the archipelago?

Pretty good even if it’s no longer the madness we once knew. Honda's recent victories help, but I don't think that's the problem. Times change, and so do expectations. Fans want something other than the 1980s or 2000s.

During these periods, simply playing in F1 was considered exceptional. Now they want local heroes. Honda's victories with Red Bull, that's good, but the real solution is a Japanese driver capable of fighting for the podium. They have been waiting for a successor for 5 years. Kamui Kobayashi, that's a long time.

Could Naoki Yamamoto be the one?

He did a very good job in FP1 considering the circumstances, because it is never easy to jump into the seat of an F1 car. Naoki reopened the path this weekend in which the youngest will rush. We need a Japanese driver on the grid.

Is there a sector problem in Japan towards the top of the pyramid?

There is plenty of talent in Japan, but the difficulty is putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. Super Formula is perhaps the most competitive entry-level discipline into F1 today. I think it's a matter of time before we see a Japanese star arrive in F1.