Despite the rather forced jollity of Suzuka, typified by the playing of ragtime music through the loudspeakers in the amusement park next to the circuit, the plight of Formula 1 in Japan is troubling. Toyota and Honda are big Japanese companies but they have none of the mystique and magic of Ferrari. Fans just don’t get excited about them. They do not seem to really care if Toyota finished second at Suzuka – because there is little affinity with the team which builds its cars in Germany and has a German and an Italian driving them. The argument is that what is needed most of all is a successful driver from Japan. Takuma Sato nearly made the breakthrough thanks to Honda giving him a lot more chances than most F1 drivers get, but in the end he was left with nothing. He would love to get back into F1 but that will not be easy now. The fans in Japan tend also to be well informed and they recognise that Kazuki Nakajima has not done enough to warrant a better drive and without Toyota backing Nakajima has no chance. Kamui Kobayashi has some potential but no-one in Europe or Japan seems to be very excited about him. The key to boosting F1 popularity in Japan lies in finding a driver to the fans excited. The Japanese do, from time to time, adopt foreign drivers and there was a very special affinity between the Japanese fans and Ayrton Senna, when F1 was at its most popular in Japan in the early 1990s. Senna was an almost mystical figure and a Honda driver as well. Today, the only driver who seems to have a big Japanese following is Jenson Button, a longtime Honda driver, who has a delightful Japanese model girlfriend in Jessica Michibata. She is probably as famous and as popular as he is.
Alas, there is no Japanese Jenson on the immediate horizon. Kobayashi failed to win a GP2 race this year in Europe and after two full seasons in the championship he needed to do more than finishing 16th in the series. Keisuke Kunimoto, a Japanese/Korean, is Toyota’s next great hope. He finished runner-up in Japanese F3 at his first attempt in 2008 and then won the Macau Grand Prix. He showed potential this year in Formula Nippon but did not score any really startling results although he has appeared in recent Renault World Series races in Europe. There are no Japanese in the Formula 3 Eurocup and in Britain Daisuke Nakajima (Kazuki’s brother) has had a moderate first year, finishing seventh in the championship with the Raikkonen Robertson Racing team, despite not winning a race.
In Japan the only local driver winning races in Formula Nippon this year has been Takashi Kogure, who at 29 is rather too late to be embarking on an F1 career, having been stuck in the Formula Nippon series for the last seven seasons.
Result are the key
joeblogsf1 
I think if Kunimoto wins in Macau again this year then he is the real deal. He needs to get to Europe A.S.A.P. and start winning some GP2 races or F3 Euro races. Staying in Japan is doing him no favors.
Taku in my opinion finally matured into a decent racing driver during his days at Super Aguri. If Toyota are going to puit a Japanese driver in the team to get the Japanese fans to get behind their effort then the only person worth it seems like Taku. But then he seems rather deeply connected with Honda (Honda are trying to get him into the IRL with DeFerran’s team) that i wonder if he can or will want to sever ties with Honda and go to their rival Toyota.
As an American, I can say that every country needs at least one driver to call their own. Scott Speed = a cruel joke. As for Bourdais, we could probably adopt him. On second thought, France can have him.
It’s tough to say if Sato could still cut it in F1. I kind of feel bad for him because he always seemed to have good pace, but the car didn’t really have the reliability. Then again, Jenson’s car didn’t really break down as much, so maybe it was just how he drove it. It seems like so much in F1 is dependent on the car you are in. I mean sure, Button is a good driver, but is he great? Probably not. Now before everyone jumps all over me for that, let me first say that by great I am referring to people like Senna, Schumacher, Fangio, Stewart, etc. Even an Englishman would admit that we’re not about to lump Jenson into that crowd quite yet. Button was starting to look like one of those drivers who was always in the wrong car and he never had one that could show his speed. Unfortunately for Sato a 4 year old Arrows car with a Honda engine strapped on the back was not really what he needed. Put him in the right car though, with a good team of engineers and mechanics and maybe those few glimmers of great driving (Passing Raikkonen in Montreal; European GP qualifying in 2nd behind some guy named Schumacher) could be sustained throughout a whole season.
Joe,
What are the chances of Toyota making a late big money bid for Jenson?
If they did do you think he would go for it?
Darren,
Why would Jenson leave a winning team to go to Toyota? Has anything changed at Toyota to make it a winning operation?
Money is not the key issue here.
So from a marketing perspective, Toyota should hire Jenson Button? Who knows, they could do worse but maybe he could do better….
For the same reason you mentioned above Mercedes want Rosberg at Brawn-Mercedes, a German driver in a Champion winning car, or at least racing winning….
Mercedes will also be looking for a driver which they can use in advertising, as they did very successfully with Mika Hakkinen over the years.
The same is probably not possible with Lewis, as the number one British driver and WDC one could guess he commercially “tied” up quite a lot already.
does anyone think that japanese f1 interest can “drop” to the level of the US?
no local rider to cheer for eliminates the casual fan. and the hard core fan is ageing (as all of japanese society is) and there is a smaller group of younger fans to follow.
Well, gee, I hesitate to mention it, given what might rise to the bait, but Danica Patrick looks sor-r-rta Japanese. You know, when the light is just right? And the height thing would definitely not threaten anyone’s manhood over there.
Or maybe Jessica Michibata would do. She could just sit on Button’s lap, so to speak.
But seriously, folks, it’s too bad about Sato. Whenever he got it together his foot was shamelessly into it, something he may have picked up from Villeneuve I suppose, though I gather he was something of a bad boy, by Japanese standards, before that.
Which I think reveals a small problem with most Japanese drivers, if you will pardon the cliché: they are often too group-oriented and too conscious of not rocking the social boat to summon up the necessary egoism of Westerners, especially in the byzantine playland of F1.
All very nice-sounding for corporate racing but, as Japan continues to prove, keiretsu racing doesn’t get the job done.
I’ve never understood why Japan has never been able to develop drivers that can go into F1 or any other branch of motorsports with some degrees of success. It not like the country has lacked for a strong motorsports culture, domestic racing series, or opportunities into F1 feeder drives. Even with all this, it has been all for not when it comes to world motorsports series.
Not to bother but Joe or anyone else in the comments, but what do you think is the cause of this lack of results? Is it the quality of the racing in Japan? Is it the way drivers are promoted in Japan? Is it a lack of youth motorsports options like kating? Or is it simply the fact that developing good drivers is a numbers game and that there are not enough people racing in Japan?
It something I’ve always wonder and could not come up with an answer. I hope someone can queue me in.
Does anyone within the hierarchy of F1 actually listen to the fans – or ex-fans as they appear to be becoming in their droves
Japan was – in the eyes of all true ‘Racing’ fans – a travesty of fair play over commerce
The stewards decided to penalise the two top drivers in the championship with grid slot penalties – of differing severity depending on how high up the standings they were – for an offence that seemed to all and sundry a contrite and pre-arranged exercise
They were penalised for not slowing down under yellow flags – or as they deemed to describe it – setting fastest times under a caution
Explain how Button and Barricello did this as this was their only timed lap!
And to not penalise Rosberg for the same offence even though telemetry proved he did not slow down
Bernie is pulling the strings and setting it all up again for a grandstand finish
I for one will no longer be a part of the WWF of motorsport – pah – sport that is a laugh
Please read some comments from true fans on true fan blogs – we are leaving in our droves even though we have 2 top drivers in Britain who could possibly make it 2 champions in 2 years
I doubt that will happen though as Bernie obviously wants Vettel to win as he did Kimi 2 years back – and what Bernie wants – bernie gets
Expect the first mechanical retirement for Button next race or a penalty that will keep everyone in suspense till the last race
Goodbye to F1 and welcome Touring Cars and MotoGP
A very sad and disillusioned ex F1 fan
Joe,
Your deep eye and thought on Japanese driver is really what we Japanese worries for a long time. Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Masahiro Hasemi, Masami Kuwashima and Satoru Nakajima are all we expected to be on the top of the world if they competed on their early days in Europe but all, except Kuwashima, filed because they are not keen to do.
I understand why they could not, or did not, to go to Europe in their early days because the atmosphere and surroundings in motorsport those days in Japan are so privileged. It was very active and comfortable circumstances because many Japanese auto makers were in Japanese motorsport scene and these top drivers were all connected to these companies and well teated and big income was guaranteed. Kuwashima was a only exception and his skills were recognized by European but he was rather rude as a human.
Satoru Nakajima was a first Formula One driver from Japan but he must accept he is a Honda driver. He was not independent. Follow Nakajima’s steps, some drivers were in Formula One but all were thought as a driver with big backing from auto makers. It is shame for us Japanese but we must accept this until a driver who is really independent will come.
Joe
I am wondering if I was at the same Grand Prix as you at the weekend? Or perhaps you were busy in the media centre over the Brawn garage and in the paddock and not amongst the fans thronging the track and endlessly queueing at the station….
There was only one driver that stood out as having support from the Japanese fans…. and that was Kimi….
More than 50% of all the girls (and there was a high proportion of ladies rather than the more usual male dominence elsewhere) were wearing Kimi tee shirts, caps and scarves (in the heat these helped prevent sunburn)…
And there were a lot of the guys who also sported Kimi stuff… not Ferrari but Kimi stuff… including quite a few in old Macca Kimi gear…..
There were a couple of Jense admirers but they were sparse in comparison to the universal Kimi support….
Surprised you didn’t notice….
My impression was that Button was popular. Kimi is a Ferrari driver so there is always a level of local support for that.
“Why would Jenson leave a winning team to go to Toyota? Has anything changed at Toyota to make it a winning operation?
Money is not the key issue here.”
Nail/Head interface!!
I am not sure how far this goes, and I am extrapolating from stuff I have read, written by all sorts of people with varying degrees of experience of the Japanese way of life, so forgive me if some of this makes no sense or is way off the mark.
However, it seems that culture plays a big part in the approach to motor racing generally, not just F1. It seems as if the absolute selfishness needed to succeed doesn’t sit well with the Japanese mind set, with the ‘corporate’ ideology of everyone working together to achieve greatness. Arrogance is frowned upon [and to some degree, rightly so], but is a necessary facet of the successful driver. Please don’t jump on me, I am not talking about the kind of cocky arrogance we all dislike, but more that absolute self belief and self confidence that you are the very best and will achieve greatness that keeps them climbing in the car every week and wringing its neck, on the edge of adhesion. I can’t recall ever seeing or hearing an interview with a Japanese driver from any series where that little bit of ‘edginess’ was in anyway obvious or apparent.
As I said earlier, I might be way off the mark and I apologise profusely to any Japanese readers if I am.
I was one of those people that sat in front of my TV, race in, race out, willing Sato on. I recall being at Silverstone in 2004 and after the race, my friend wanted to stand round by the paddock gates to catch a glimpse of Michael Schumacher leaving the circuit. What we actually saw was Kimi totally ignore his fans, dive in the back of a Maybach and not so much as wave as he was driven through the gates. Bernie waved from his car, MS was no where to be seen, Webber walked over and said a quick hello then was called away, Dave Richards waved, Ross Brawn actually walked out of the paddock and chatted and joked with the crowd. However, Taku walked away from his small entourage, came over to the gates and spent 10 minutes chatting to the fans and signing autographs, even having to move to one side so the car carry Sir Frank Williams could drive through. To those fans, on that day, he was the hero no other driver could be bothered to be and maybe thats part of the problem – just too damn nice 😉
Nail/Head interface. I might have to steal that expression…
**chuckles** You are welcome to it, I have 18 & 15 yr old offspring, its adapted from the oft repeated phrase round here, ‘head/wall interface’ 😉
My experance tells me that any young driver who serously wants to make it into F1 needs to be racing in Europe as soon as possable. Quite honestly, I believe, drivers who stay in their home country to long, other than those in central Europe, deminish his or her chances of scrambling to the top of F1, and staying there! Makes no difference, Japenese, American, Indian or any other. Early racing in Europe, be it, England, Germany, France, Italy is a necessary component for success in F1, except for extreamly rear talent! Language, food, general enviorment, even the weather comes into it. Most other countries have much more limited race scheduals and it takes more time and money to build a career. In the U.S you have, mabe, a dozen races, often travel 1000 to 2500 miles to a race. Means more time on the road, more expense and only 10 to 12 races. Many stay in regional races far to long, out of financial necessity, racing agenst a very limited crop of serious prospects. In England, alone, in Formula Ford, you race, much more often agenst a greater number of vary serious young drivers, with considerable talent who have come from all over the world. Many times you arrive, say, Friday night, say at Thruxton, a short early AM practice, then qualifing, and race before noon. Then off to another track 100 or so miles away and do the same thing Sunday. The brain and body then has to adapt very quickly because practice and qualifing sessions are of short duration. This is also true for the serious young mechanic, fleging engineer, or team manager or owner. I can’t tell you how many young Americans have asked me about making to F1. My answer today is the same as it was 35 years ago. Get to Europe, somehow, as soon as possable, and don’t complain about anything, Keep your ears open, head down, love the food, and learn the laungage!!!! Back in the 60’s, as well as today, when drivers with graded European experance, or from South Africa, New Zeeland, or Australia arrived at new, for them, US track, say, Riverside, Elkhart Lake, or Watkins Glen, they could usually nail it in four to six laps, depending on conditions!!!! The junior formulas in Europe, where, and still are, I beleave, the best training grounds on this planet….Other regions may be catching up, but it’s still not the same!!!! Derek Daly, who drove for us in F1, and has now carved over the last 20 years a fine, after racing, career in the U.S., has packed his son off to Europe. And talk about shear desire, Derek went off to the opel fields out in the middle of nowhere in Australia, for a year or more just to earn enough money to kick start his career, then became F2 Champion. He may not have been the best driver ever, in F1, but he had what it takes to get there, and sure delivered for us a a critical time. Of the 35 or so drivers I have been envolved with, all but a few,( Al Unser Sr., Jerry Grant, Skip Hudson, Peter Revson, and a coupla of others), carried foreign passports and represented 16 different nations. All were Europeans or got to Europe early in their careers. To mention a few, Regazzoni, Ickx, Tambey, Amon, Daly, Lammers, Salazar, Gurerro, and Nelson Piquet. We pulled Nelson stright up from Formula 3 for his first F1, race, “Hockenheim 78”, he was that good! I think I have now beat the subject to death!!!Happy to here any other point of view though…God I wish I could type and spell….