26 Facts About Sakon Yamamoto

Sakon Yamamoto is a Japanese former racing driver and politician, who competed in Formula One between 2006 and 2010.

On 8 June 2006, Sakon Yamamoto joined the Super Aguri F1 team as their test driver and third driver on grand prix weekends, helping Takuma Sato and Franck Montagny in Friday's free practice sessions.

Sakon Yamamoto replaced Montagny in the second team car at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim.

Sakon Yamamoto did not enjoy a particularly successful start to his career with a mechanical failure and a stalled engine restricting him to a total of one lap in his first two races.

Sakon Yamamoto damaged one of the team's new SA06 chassis in a crash during Free Practice at the German Grand Prix.

Sakon Yamamoto then spun out of his third Grand Prix in Turkey, a disappointment after outqualifying Sato for the first time.

At the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, Sakon Yamamoto had a major effect on the championship after suffering a tyre delamination during qualifying, which consigned him to last place on the grid.

Sakon Yamamoto finished the season strongly with three consecutive finishes, an upturn in form after retiring from his first four Grands Prix.

Sakon Yamamoto set the seventh fastest lap and second fastest middle sector during the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Sanho Human Service sponsored Spyker F1 when Sakon Yamamoto was a driver, and it was announced at the R28 launch that Sanho Human Service would sponsor Renault in 2008.

Sakon Yamamoto made his return to the GP2 series halfway through the 2008 season, as the ART Grand Prix team elected to employ him in place of the underperforming Luca Filippi.

On 17 April 2010 the Hispania Racing team announced that Sakon Yamamoto would become the test and reserve driver for the team, and that he would drive the car in free practice sessions over the course of the 2010 season, helping Hispania develop their car.

Sakon Yamamoto took part in his first practice session for the team at the Turkish Grand Prix where he set the slowest lap time of the session.

On 8 July 2010 HRT team principal Colin Kolles announced that Sakon Yamamoto was to replace Bruno Senna for the British Grand Prix, where he qualified 24th and last, he went on to finish 20th and last, just behind his team-mate Karun Chandhok.

Sakon Yamamoto replaced Chandhok at the German Grand Prix, where he retired after 19 laps with an engine problem.

Sakon Yamamoto kept this seat for the Hungarian Grand Prix, in which he was lapped by his team-mate Senna.

At the Italian Grand Prix, Sakon Yamamoto accelerated from the pits as a mechanic was fixing the radio connection to his helmet.

Sakon Yamamoto was replaced at the Singapore Grand Prix by test driver Christian Klien after reportedly suffering food poisoning.

Sakon Yamamoto returned at the following race in Japan, finishing in 16th place, albeit last of the 16 cars to make the flag.

Sakon Yamamoto bettered this result by coming 15th in Korea, but was again replaced by Klien for the final two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

On 23 March 2011, Marussia Virgin Racing announced that Sakon Yamamoto would be the team's reserve driver for the first three races of the 2011 season.

Sakon Yamamoto was called in to replace Antonio Felix da Costa for the 2015 London ePrix.

Sakon Yamamoto failed to set a time in qualifying after the tricky rain conditions caused him to hit the wall and then retired from the race after running into the back of Jarno Trulli.

Sakon Yamamoto finished the season with no points and 35th and last in the standings.

Sakon Yamamoto entered the last round of the 2020 Super Formula Lights at Fuji for B-Max, scoring a best finish of 7th in the third race.

Sakon Yamamoto has not raced regularly since his Formula E outings, and has concentrated on a career in medicine and social welfare.