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Sakon Yamamoto

Formula 1 driver

Sakon Yamamoto
Credit: LAT
Vital statistics for Sakon Yamamoto
NationalityJPN
BirthplaceToyohashi, Japan
Born9 July 1982
Age40
F1 debutGerman Grand Prix, 2006

Sakon Yamamoto drove for the ill-fated Super Aguri team, as well as Spyker, Renault and Hispania, with a brief return to GP2 in the middle of his F1 career. His last appearance in Formula One was with Hispania in 2010, although he was signed to Virgin as reserve for three races in 2011.

F1 biography

Yamamoto earned his stripes in the early categories of motorsport before joining the Jordan F1 team as a test driver in 2005. He moved to Super Aguri for the 2006 season, completing a similar role as test driver. Sakon was promoted to the race seat in Germany, replacing Franck Montagny for the rest of the season.

He secured another "second half of the season" in 2007, joining the Spyker team from Hungary onwards. He was dropped by the team at the end of the year, and moved to Renault to become a test driver. With no race seat on the horizon, Yamamoto opted to go back to GP2 for two years.

Yamamoto was back as a test and reserve driver in Formula One for 2010, joining the Hispania backmaker team. Once again, partway through the year, Sakon moved into a full time race drive, completing the season for the team. His final stint in F1 was a three race test drive role for Marussia, but this time he didn't get promoted to the race seat.

Sakon drove for the Amlin Aguri team in the inaugural season of Formula E in 2014/15 as a replacement for another driver, but he suffered two retirements out of the two races he participated in.