Yamamoto Sakon (Japan, 09/07/1982)

Sakon Yamamoto (born on 9 July 1982 in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) is a former Japanese racing driver who competed in the Formula 1 World Championship across several seasons, alternating between race, test and reserve driver roles.

After starting in Japanese karting, Yamamoto moved into single-seaters in the early 2000s. In 2003 he competed in British Formula Renault, followed by Japanese Formula 3 and Formula Nippon in subsequent years, without establishing himself as a consistent front-runner. In parallel he entered the Honda development programme, which supported his progression.

His Formula 1 debut came in 2006 with Super Aguri, Honda’s satellite team, where he partnered Takuma Sato during the second half of the season. The experience proved challenging due to limited car competitiveness and a difficult adaptation to the World Championship environment. Nevertheless, Yamamoto remained within the Honda structure as a reserve and test driver.

In 2007 he took part in selected free practice sessions with Spyker, while in 2010 he returned to race in Formula 1. That season he competed first with Hispania Racing Team (HRT) and later with Virgin Racing, stepping in for other drivers during the championship. Once again, the technical limitations of the new teams severely restricted opportunities for competitive results.

After leaving Formula 1, Sakon Yamamoto continued his career in other categories, competing in Japanese and international series, including endurance racing and touring cars. He has remained connected to motorsport in support and representative roles, drawing on the experience gained at the highest level.

In his private life he has always maintained a discreet profile. His career stands as an example of a path strongly linked to Japanese manufacturer programmes in Formula 1, during an era marked by the entry of new teams and frequent changes at the back of the grid.

GP Results

GP/Points Graph

Year	Team	Chassis	Points
2007	Spyker	F8-VII	0

* World Championships with at least 1 point won (since 2001)

Year	Team	Teammate	Win
2007	Spyker F1 Team (F8-VII)	Sutil A.	0 VS 4
2006	Super Aguri F1 Team (SA05)	Sato T.	1 VS 6
Total			1 VS 10

---