Taki Inoue

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Taki Inoue
Formula One Career
Nationality	Japanese
Active years	1994 - 1995
Team(s)	Simtek, Footwork
Grands Prix	19
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podium finishes	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First Grand Prix	1994 Japanese Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix	1995 Australian Grand Prix

Inoue's damaged car is towed back to the pits after his bizarre practice accident at the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix.

Taki Inoue (井上 隆智穂 Inoue Takachiho, b. September 5, 1963 in Kobe) is a former Formula One driver from Japan. He participated in eighteen grand prix races, debuting on November 6, 1994. He scored no championship points, and is remembered for two bizarre incidents while driving for Footwork in 1995. The first occurred after a practice session at Monaco, when his stalled car was being towed back to the pits when it was hit by a course car, driven by Jean Ragnotti, causing it to roll into the barriers, although Taki was fit to race the next day. The second happened in Hungary on live TV worldwide - attempting to assist the marshals in putting out the engine fire which had forced him out of the race, a vehicle driven to the scene by a marshal hit him, injuring his leg, although he recovered for the next race.

For most of the season his team-mate was Gianni Morbidelli, but late in the season Max Papis replaced Morbidelli, and was sometimes outpaced by Taki. In 1996, he was due to drive for the Minardi team, but one of his personal sponsors pulled out at the last minute and the team took on the more talented Giancarlo Fisichella instead, and Taki was out of a drive. After brief forays into sportscars, he retired from racing at the end of 1999 and now manages drivers in his own country.

[edit] Complete Formula One Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)