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Satoru Nakajima (中島 悟 in Japanese; born 23 February 1953 in Okazaki, Aichi, Japan) is a former Japanese Formula One driver who competed for Lotus from 1987 till 1989, and for Tyrrell from 1990 until 1991 as the teams' race driver. He is the father of former F1 driver, Kazuki Nakajima. His son has a younger brother, Daisuke Nakajima, who is currently competing in Super GT and Super Formula.

Nakajima whilst rarely competing among the drivers was remembered as a notoriously difficult driver to overtake whilst on-track. Most infamously, he was remembered as the driver whom prevented Ayrton Senna, his former teammate from taking victory at his home grand prix in the re-opening of the Interlagos circuit.

Senna attempted an ill-fated move on Nakajima, only to lose his front wing and drop to third position. Ironically at the very next race, Nakajima would once again play havoc with Senna when he indirectly caused the champion's retirement after Senna ran over a piece of debris from Nakajima's crashed car.


Formula One Career[]

Formula One Statistical Overview[]

Formula One Record[]

Year Entrant Team WDC Points WDC Pos. Report
1987 United Kingdom Camel Team Lotus Honda Lotus-Honda 7 12th Report
1988 United Kingdom Camel Team Lotus Honda Lotus-Honda 1 16th Report
1989 United Kingdom Camel Team Lotus Lotus-Judd 3 21st Report
1990 United Kingdom Tyrrell Racing Organisation Tyrrell-Ford Cosworth 3 15th Report
1991 United Kingdom Braun Tyrrell Honda Tyrrell-Honda 2 15th Report

Career Statistics[]

Entries 80
Starts 74
Pole Positions 0
Sprint Poles 0
Front Row Starts 0
Race Wins 0
Sprint Wins 0
Podiums 0
Sprint Podiums 0
Fastest Laps 1
Sprint Fastest Laps 0
Points 16
Laps Raced 3078
Distance Raced 14,453 km (8,981 mi)

Career Results[]

Complete Formula One Results
Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pts Pos
1987 Flag of Brazil (1968–1992) Flag of San Marino Flag of Belgium Flag of Monaco Flag of the United States Flag of France Flag of Great Britain Flag of Germany Flag of Hungary Flag of Austria Flag of Italy Flag of Portugal Flag of Spain Flag of Mexico Flag of Japan (1870–1999) Flag of Australia 7 12th
7th 6th 5th 10th Ret NC 4th Ret Ret 13th 11th 8th 9th Ret 6th Ret
1988 Flag of Brazil (1968–1992) Flag of San Marino Flag of Monaco Flag of Mexico Flag of Canada Flag of the United States Flag of France Flag of Great Britain Flag of Germany Flag of Hungary Flag of Belgium Flag of Italy Flag of Portugal Flag of Spain Flag of Japan (1870–1999) Flag of Australia 1 16th
6th 8th DNQ Ret 11th DNQ 7th 10th 9th 7th Ret Ret Ret Ret 7th Ret
1989 Flag of Brazil (1968–1992) Flag of San Marino Flag of Monaco Flag of Mexico Flag of the United States Flag of Canada Flag of France Flag of Great Britain Flag of Germany Flag of Hungary Flag of Belgium Flag of Italy Flag of Portugal Flag of Spain Flag of Japan (1870–1999) Flag of Australia 3 21st
8th NC DNQ Ret Ret DNQ Ret 8th Ret Ret DNQ 10th 7th Ret Ret 4th
1990 Flag of the United States Flag of Brazil (1968–1992) Flag of San Marino Flag of Monaco Flag of Canada Flag of Mexico Flag of France Flag of Great Britain Flag of Germany Flag of Hungary Flag of Belgium Flag of Italy Flag of Portugal Flag of Spain Flag of Japan (1870–1999) Flag of Australia 3 15th
6th 8th Ret Ret 11th Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 6th DNS Ret 6th Ret
1991 Flag of the United States Flag of Brazil (1968–1992) Flag of San Marino Flag of Monaco Flag of Canada Flag of Mexico Flag of France Flag of Great Britain Flag of Germany Flag of Hungary Flag of Belgium Flag of Italy Flag of Portugal Flag of Spain Flag of Japan (1870–1999) Flag of Australia 2 15th
5th Ret Ret Ret 10th 12th Ret 8th Ret 15th Ret Ret 13th 17th Ret Ret
[1]
Key
Symbol Meaning Symbol Meaning
1st Winner Ret Retired
2nd Podium finish DSQ Disqualified
3rd DNQ Did not qualify
5th Points finish DNPQ Did not pre-qualify
14th Non-points finish TD Test driver
Italics Scored point(s) for Fastest Lap DNS Did not start
18th Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance) NC Non-classified finish (<90% race distance)
4thP Qualified for pole position [+] More Symbols

Notes[]

  1. Race stopped after 14/81 Laps. Half points awarded

Quotes[]

"It was Nakajima, the last car on the lead lap, you have no doubt deduced by now that it was Nakajima in the Tyrrell that he came together with." - Bob Varsha on Nakajima and Senna's collision. ESPN. 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix.

"Out of all people to try a trick like that with, Nakajima is the last guy out there to do that because he is not looking." - David Hobbs on Nakajima and Senna's collision. ESPN. 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix.

"The former Lotus driver carries number three and was in the points at Phoenix, but it was his teammate Jean Alesi who has proved the sensation of the season so far." Andrew Marriott. Eurosport. 1990 San Marino Grand Prix Build-Up.

V T E Teams and Drivers
1987 Teams and Drivers
Teams McLarenTyrrellWilliamsBrabhamZakspeedLotusAGSMarchArrowsBenettonOsellaMinardiLigierFerrariLolaColoni
Engines Alfa RomeoBMWFerrariFordHondaMegatronMotori ModerniTAGZakspeed
Drivers 1 Prost • 2 Johansson • 3 Palmer • 4 Streiff • 5 Mansell • 5 Patrese • 6 Piquet • 7 Patrese • 7 Modena • 8 De Cesaris • 9 Brundle • 10 Danner • 11 Nakajima • 12 Senna • 14 Fabre • 14 Moreno • 16 Capelli • 17 Warwick • 18 Cheever • 19 Fabi • 20 Boutsen • 21 Caffi • 22 Tarquini • 22 Forini • 23 Campos • 24 Nannini • 25 Arnoux • 26 Ghinzani • 27 Alboreto • 28 Berger • 29 Dalmas • 30 Alliot • 32 Larini
Other Drivers DumfriesHoshinoSchlesser
1988 Teams and Drivers
Teams Lotus · Tyrrell · Williams · Zakspeed · McLaren · AGS · March · Arrows · Benetton · Tyrrell · Osella · Rial · Minardi · Ligier · Ferrari · Lola · Coloni · EuroBrun · Dallara
Engines Ferrari · Ford Cosworth · Honda · Judd · Megatron · Osella · Zakspeed
Non-Works Entrants Larrousse Calmels · BMS Scuderia Italia
Drivers 1 Piquet · 2 Nakajima · 3 Palmer · 4 Bailey · 5 Mansell/Brundle/Schlesser · 6 Patrese · 9 Ghinzani · 10 Schneider · 11 Prost · 12 Senna · 14 Streiff · 15 Gugelmin · 16 Capelli · 17 Warwick · 18 Cheever · 19 Nannini · 20 Boutsen · 21 Larini · 22 de Cesaris · 23 Campos/Martini · 24 Pérez-Sala · 25 Arnoux · 26 Johansson · 27 Alboreto · 28 Berger · 29 Dalmas/Suzuki/Raphanel · 30 Alliot · 31 Tarquini · 32 Larrauri · 33 Modena · 36 Caffi
1989 Teams and Drivers
Teams McLarenTyrrellWilliamsBrabhamArrowsLotusMarchOsellaBenettonDallaraMinardiLigierFerrariLolaColoniEuroBrunZakspeedOnyxRialAGS
Engines FerrariFordHondaJuddLamborghiniRenaultYamaha
Drivers 1 Senna • 2 Prost • 3 Palmer • 4 Alboreto • 4 Alesi • 4 Herbert • 5 Boutsen • 6 Patrese • 7 Brundle • 8 Modena • 9 Warwick • 9 Donnelly • 10 Cheever • 11 Piquet • 12 Nakajima • 15 Gugelmin • 16 Capelli • 17 Larini • 18 Ghinzani • 19 Nannini • 20 Herbert • 20 Pirro • 21 Caffi • 22 De Cesaris • 23 Martini • 23 Barilla • 24 Pérez-Sala • 25 Arnoux • 26 Grouillard • 27 Mansell • 28 Berger • 29 Dalmas • 29 Bernard • 29 Alboreto • 30 Alliot • 31 Moreno • 32 Raphanel • 32 Bertaggia • 33 Foitek • 33 Larrauri • 34 Schneider • 35 Suzuki • 36 Johansson • 37 Gachot • 37 Lehto • 38 Danner • 38 Foitek • 38/39 Raphanel • 39 Weidler • 39 Gachot • 40 Streiff • 40 Tarquini • 41 Winkelhock • 41 Dalmas
Other Drivers DumfriesGiacomelli
1990 Teams and Drivers
Teams FerrariTyrrellWilliamsBrabhamArrowsLotusOsellaLeyton HouseAGSBenettonDallaraMinardiLigierMcLarenLolaColoniEuroBrunOnyxLife
Engines FerrariFord CosworthHondaJuddLamborghiniLifeRenaultSubaru
Non-Works Entrants BMS Scuderia ItaliaESPO Larrousse F1
Drivers 1 Prost • 2 Mansell • 3 Nakajima • 4 Alesi • 5 Boutsen • 6 Patrese • 7 Foitek/D. Brabham • 8 Modena • 9 Alboreto • 10 Schneider/Caffi • 11 Warwick • 12 Donnelly/Herbert • 14 Grouillard • 15 Gugelmin • 16 Capelli • 17 Tarquini • 18 Dalmas • 19 Nannini/Moreno • 20 Piquet • 21 Morbidelli/Pirro • 22 de Cesaris • 23 Martini • 24 Barilla • 25 Larini • 26 Alliot • 27 Senna • 28 Berger • 29 Bernard • 30 Suzuki • 31 Gachot • 33 Moreno • 34 Langes • 35 Johansson/Foitek • 36 Lehto • 39 G. Brabham/Giacomelli
1991 Teams and Drivers
Teams McLarenTyrrellWilliamsBrabhamFootworkLotusFondmetalLeyton HouseAGSBenettonDallaraMinardiLigierFerrariLolaColoniJordanLambo
Engines FerrariFordHondaIlmorJuddLamborghiniPorscheRenaultYamaha
Drivers 1 Senna • 2 Berger • 3 Nakajima • 4 Modena • 5 Mansell • 6 Patrese • 7 Brundle • 8 Blundell • 9 Alboreto • 10 Caffi • 10 Johansson • 11 Häkkinen • 12 Bailey • 12 Herbert • 12 Bartels • 14 Grouillard • 14 Tarquini • 15 Gugelmin • 16 Capelli • 16 Wendlinger • 17 Tarquini • 17 Grouillard • 18 Johansson • 18 Barbazza • 19 Moreno • 19 Schumacher • 20 Piquet • 21 Pirro • 22 Lehto • 23 Martini • 24 Morbidelli • 24 Moreno • 25 Boutsen • 26 Comas • 27 Prost • 27 Morbidelli • 28 Alesi • 29 Bernard • 29 Gachot • 30 Suzuki • 31 Chaves • 31 Hattori • 32 Gachot • 32 Schumacher • 32 Moreno • 32 Zanardi • 33 De Cesaris • 34 Larini • 35 Van de Poele
Other Drivers McNish
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