Who is the most successful Asian F1 driver of all time?
There have been some talented F1 drivers from the Asian continent
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Alex Albon, Yuki Tsunoda and Zhou Guanyu
Formula 1 is considered by many as a European sport. F1 started in Europe, and even today, all F1 teams have bases in the continent, including the American Haas outfit. Subsequently, the sport was dominated has been dominated by Europeans ever since its inception. However, there have been stars from other corners of the globe in F1, such as Asia.
Asia is the most populous continent on Earth. Consequently, it is no surprise that Asian drivers have raced at the pinnacle of motorsport. Although they have been marginal when compared to their European counterparts. China, the world’s second largest nation in terms of population, got its first F1 driver in a GP only in the 2023 season with Zhou Guanyu.
Yet, Asia has given the world some talented F1 drivers over the years. However, none of them has ever won a world championship so far. Many believe that the likes of Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon could indeed write history in the future if the opportunity presents itself. But who is the most successful F1 driver from the Asian continent? Let’s find out.
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The Top 5 most successful Asian F1 Drivers
5. Satoru Nakajima
Nakajima made his F1 debut in 1987 at the age of 34. Lotus signed the Japanese driver due to his connections with Honda. Satoru scored 7 points in his rookie season in the sport. However, the results declined in the following years, as he scored only a grand total of 16 points in his five-season-long career. The 70-year-old did not manage to get a win or even a podium finish from his 80 race starts.
Although Nakajima came close to reaching the podium at the 1989 Australian GP with a P4, the Japanese driver did manage to clinch the fastest lap of the race. After three unsuccessful seasons with Lotus, Satoru signed with Tyrell, again providing his team with a Honda engine supply. Unfortunately, things did not improve for Nakajima as he decided to end his F1 career after the end of the 1991 season.
Satoru could have got the opportunity to continue in F1 after this stint as Honda planned to enter its own works team. The Japanese driver even tested the prototypes of this project at Suzuka in early 1994. But the plan never took off and Nakajima was forced to switch to CART and later the Indycar series in the United States.
4. Yuki Tsunoda
Tsunoda, the latest Honda-aided driver on the grid, has had an eventful career in F1 so far. The 22-year-old made his debut in 2021 and was instantly recognized as a promising young talent. However, the Alpha Tauri driver struggled to match Pierre Gasly during their times as teammates. Yuki has become one of the most successful Asian drivers in F1 history.
Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to the Red Bull sister team after just one year in Formula 2 and Formula 3. The Austrian giant and Honda had faith in the 22-year-old to deliver decent results and potentially get a seat alongside Max Verstappen. Tsunoda has scored 45 points in 47 races. However, this figure could have increased if the Japanese driver had avoided some critical errors.
For 2023, the pressure has increased on the 22-year-old as Milton Keynes demands better results from Alpha Tauri. Yuki is partnered with Nyck de Vries at the Faenza-based team. Subsequently, the Japanese driver must give in everything to remain a serious contender for the senior team.
3. Takuma Sato
Sato was another driver who was backed by Honda to enter F1. The Japanese driver started his career in the sport with the Jordan F1 team in 2002. Takuma’s debut season in Formula 1 was rather disappointing, with only 2 points to his name from his home race. A horrendous crash at the Austrian GP further ruined his season. Sato moved to BAR in 2003 as a test driver after it became the sole Honda-supplied team.
Takuma Sato was promoted to the race seat in the last round in 2003 at the Japanese GP. Sato’s most successful F1 season was in 2004, when he scored 34 points and got his first and only podium at the United States GP. Unfortunately, the Japanese driver was not resigned in 2006 when Honda took full control of the team. Sato spent two uneventful seasons at Super Aguri till the team shut down due to monetary issues.
After failing to get a seat at Scuderia Toro Rosso, Sato switched to Indycar and has since won the Indy 500 twice. The Japanese driver seems to be finally enjoying racing as he has spent over a decade in America. Thus, Takuma scored 44 points and one podium from his 92 race starts.
2. Kamui Kobayashi
Kobayashi is a force to be reckoned with in the world of endurance racing. However, the 36-year-old could not reach grand heights in F1. Kamui made his F1 debut as a replacement with Toyota for an unfit Timo Glock at the 2009 Japanese GP. After Toyota left the sport at the end of the season, Kobayashi’s career was salvaged by BMW Sauber for the following year.
The 36-year-old spent three decent seasons on the Swiss team. Kobayashi solidified his place as a formidable midfield driver during this time. The 2012 season was his most successful season in F1, with 62 points to his name and a podium at his home race at Suzuka. Sadly, this was not enough to convince Sauber to a contract extension. Subsequently, the Japanese driver spent a year on the sidelines before racing for Caterham in 2014.
Kamui Kobayashi ended his F1 career with 125 points, 1 podium, and 2 fastest laps from 76 races. After leaving the sport, Kobayashi achieved tremendous success with Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, including winning the 24 hours of Le Mans. Perhaps Kamui is one driver that could have achived a lot more at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Honorable Mention: Aguri Suzuki
Aguri Suzuki made his F1 debut in 1988 with the Larrousse team but failed to qualify for a Grand Prix. Luckily Suzuki earned his first and only podium at his home race in Suzuka as well, perhaps a tradition for Japanese drivers. Aguri moved to Footwork for a couple of seasons before switching to Tyrell in 1995, where he scored a single point.
Suzuki announced his retirement after a heavy crash at Suzuka. Ending his 88-race-long F1 career with a grand total of 8 points. The Japanese driver is on this list for running his own F1 team, Super Aguri. Suzuki ran a Japanese F1 team for three seasons in F1 and showed to the world that Asians could too compete in a grid full of European competitors.
1. Alex Albon
Alex Albon was called up to join Toro Rosso in 2019. The Thai-British driver was then promoted to Red Bull after just half of a season. The 27-year-old tried his best to match Max Verstappen during his time at Red Bull. Albon got 2 podiums for Milton Keynes. However, the Austrian team was not happy with the results by the end of the 2020 season and decided to demote him to a reserve driver role.
Nonetheless, Albon managed to get his way back on the grid in 2022 with Williams Racing. Although currently, the 27-year-old is struggling at the back of the field due to the underwhelming machinery. Alex remains a highly regarded driver who is considered a promising talent. The Thai driver has scored 202 points in his career so far from 63 races, the most for an Asian driver.
Presently, Alex Albon raises the flag for Asian drivers in F1. The 27-year-old will be on the radar of the top teams as he continues to show consistency at Williams. Many wonders if Albon will be the Asian driver who can finally win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Although fans will have to wait until the Thai driver gets a car capable of fighting for race wins.
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Armaan Agarwal
(2310 Articles Published)