Kotaro Sakurai
| Kotaro Sakurai | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Born |
29 June 1994 Tokyo, Japan |
| Previous series | |
| 2012 2011 2011 2010 |
GP3 Series British F3 Rookie Class Toyota Racing Series Formula BMW Pacific |
| Championship titles | |
| 2011 | British F3 Rookie Class |
Kotaro Sakurai (桜井孝太郎 Sakurai Kōtarō, born 29 June 1994 in Tokyo) is a Japanese racing driver. Sakurai raced under Filipino license in Formula BMW Pacific and currently in the GP3 Series.
Career
Karting
Sakurai began his racing career in karting at the age of nine and raced in Japan and Australia.[1]
Formula BMW Pacific
In 2010, Sakurai graduated to single–seaters into the Formula BMW Pacific series in Asia, joining Eurasia Motorsport and racing under a Filipino racing licence. He scored a podium in the second race of the opening round at Sepang and achieved seven more point-scoring finishes on his way to eighth in the championship.[2][3]
Toyota Racing Series
Sakurai participated in the Toyota Racing Series in early 2011 with M2 Competition, finishing fourteenth in the championship, the lowest-placed of the International Trophy drivers to contest the series.[4]
Formula Three
In 2011, Sakurai decided to race in Europe, taking part in the rebranded Rookie Class of the British Formula 3 Championship with Hitech Racing.[5] Bart Hylkema was his only class rival in the first half of the championship, before he graduated to the International Class, allowing Sakurai to take the championship title.[6] During the season he also appeared in the Brands Hatch round of the European F3 Open Championship.[7]
GP3 Series
Sakurai raced in the GP3 Series in 2012 with Status Grand Prix.[8]
Racing record
Career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | FLaps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Formula BMW Pacific | Eurasia Motorsport | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 68 | 8th |
| 2011 | British Formula 3 Rookie Class | Hitech Racing | 28 | 15 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 378 | 1st |
| Toyota Racing Series | M2 Competition | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 325 | 14th | |
| European F3 Open Championship | Team West-Tec | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22nd | |
| 2012 | GP3 Series | Status Grand Prix | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24th |
| Auto GP World Series | Euronova Racing | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 19th |
Complete GP3 Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Status Grand Prix | ESP FEA 18 |
ESP SPR 12 |
MON FEA 13 |
MON SPR 20 |
VAL FEA |
VAL SPR |
GBR FEA 15 |
GBR SPR 13 |
GER FEA |
GER SPR |
HUN FEA |
HUN SPR |
BEL FEA |
BEL SPR |
ITA FEA |
ITA SPR |
24th | 0 |
References
- ↑ "Profile". kotaro-racing.net. Kotaro Sakurai. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
- ↑ http://www.afos.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=767:championship-points-standing-after-rounds-15-guia-international-circuit-macau-&catid=71:fbmw-results&Itemid=209
- ↑ "Formula BMW Pacific 2010". Driver Database. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
- ↑ "Toyota Racing Series New Zealand 2011". Driver Database. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
- ↑ "A diamond season in prospect for British Formula 3". Racecar (Racecar New Media Services Ltd.). 9 March 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
Finally – for the moment, as teams are still putting deals together with other hopefuls – are 21-year-old Dutch driver Bart Hylkema, who will be T-Sport’s third driver and 16-year-old Japanese Hitech driver Kotaro Sakurai, who joins him in the Rookie class.
- ↑ Carter, Nick (24 September 2011). "Sakurai clinches Rookie class title". British Formula 3 Championship (Stéphane Ratel Organisation). Retrieved 9 May 2012.
- ↑ "Brands Hatch: Free Practice 1 Results" (PDF). European F3 Open Championship. GT Sport. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
- ↑ "Kotaro Sakurai joins Status GP for 2012 GP3 Series season". GP3 Series (GP2 Motorsport Limited). 5 April 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
External links
- Official website
- Kotaro Sakurai career summary at DriverDB.com
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Menasheh Idafar British F3 National Class |
British Formula 3 Rookie Champion 2011 |
Succeeded by Spike Goddard |