Satoru Nakajima
born 23 Feb 1953 · raced 1987–1991
74Races
0Wins
0Podiums
27Top 10s
8.51Avg Position
15Avg Grid Pos
Satoru Nakajima was a trailblazing figure in Formula 1, becoming the first full-time Japanese driver to compete in the sport. Debuting in 1987 with Lotus, his presence significantly boosted F1's popularity in Japan, especially due to his Honda engine connection. While he never achieved a podium finish, Nakajima was a consistent points-scorer, notably finishing 4th at the 1989 Australian Grand Prix in treacherous wet conditions. He competed in 74 Grands Prix over five seasons, paving the way for future Japanese talent in Formula 1.
Top Teams
Team | Wins | Podiums | Points (as awarded) | Races |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Lotus | 0 | 0 | 11 | 43 |
| Tyrrell | 0 | 0 | 5 | 31 |
Page 1 of 1 · Showing 1–2 of 2
Top Circuits
Circuit | Wins | Avg Points (as awarded) | Races |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix street circuit | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Adelaide Street Circuit | 0 | 0.6 | 5 |
| Silverstone Circuit | 0 | 0.6 | 5 |
| Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | 0 | 0.5 | 4 |
| Suzuka Circuit | 0 | 0.4 | 5 |
| Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet | 0 | 0.33 | 3 |
| Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari | 0 | 0.2 | 5 |
| Autodromo Nazionale di Monza | 0 | 0.2 | 5 |
| Circuit Paul Ricard | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Page 1 of 2 · Showing 1–10 of 16
Points are Grand Prix points as awarded at the time (sprints excluded); average points are per race started.
Most-shared teammates. Each link opens their head-to-head.
- Nelson Piquet27 shared races · Compare with Nelson Piquet (1988)
- Stefano Modena16 shared races · Compare with Stefano Modena (1991)
- Ayrton Senna16 shared races · Compare with Ayrton Senna (1987)
- Jean Alesi14 shared races · Compare with Jean Alesi (1990)
| Season | Team | Matchup | Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Stefano Modena vs Satoru Nakajima | 15–1 | |
| 1990 | Jean Alesi vs Satoru Nakajima | 10–4 | |
| 1989 | Nelson Piquet vs Satoru Nakajima | 8–5 | |
| 1988 | Nelson Piquet vs Satoru Nakajima | 10–4 | |
| 1987 | Satoru Nakajima vs Ayrton Senna | 2–14 |
16 circuitsShow all▾
- Phoenix street circuit
- Silverstone Circuit
- Adelaide Street Circuit
- Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
- Suzuka Circuit
- Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet
- Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
- Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
- Circuit de Monaco
- Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
- Hockenheimring
- Hungaroring
- Circuito de Jerez
- Autódromo do Estoril
- Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
- Circuit Paul Ricard
199116 races▾
| Grand Prix | Team | Grid | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 24 | Spun off | 0 |
| Japanese Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 15 | Spun off | 0 |
| Spanish Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 18 | P17 | 0 |
| Portuguese Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 17 | P13 | 0 |
| Italian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 15 | Throttle | 0 |
| Belgian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 22 | Spun off | 0 |
| Hungarian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 14 | P15 | 0 |
| German Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 13 | Gearbox | 0 |
| British Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 15 | P8 | 0 |
| French Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 18 | Spun off | 0 |
| Mexican Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 13 | P12 | 0 |
| Canadian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 12 | P10 | 0 |
| Monaco Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 11 | Spun off | 0 |
| San Marino Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 10 | Transmission | 0 |
| Brazilian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 16 | Spun off | 0 |
| United States Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 16 | P5 | 2 |
Earlier seasons1987–1990 (4 seasons)▾
199016 races▾
| Grand Prix | Team | Grid | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 13 | Spun off | 0 |
| Japanese Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 14 | P6 | 1 |
| Spanish Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 14 | Spun off | 0 |
| Portuguese Grand Prix | Tyrrell | — | Withdrew | 0 |
| Italian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 14 | P6 | 1 |
| Belgian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 10 | Engine | 0 |
| Hungarian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 15 | Brakes | 0 |
| German Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 13 | Engine | 0 |
| British Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 12 | Electrical | 0 |
| French Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 15 | Gearbox | 0 |
| Mexican Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 9 | Collision | 0 |
| Canadian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 13 | P11 | 0 |
| Monaco Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 21 | Spun off | 0 |
| San Marino Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 19 | Collision | 0 |
| Brazilian Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 19 | P8 | 0 |
| United States Grand Prix | Tyrrell | 11 | P6 | 1 |
198916 races▾
| Grand Prix | Team | Grid | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 23 | P4 | 3 |
| Japanese Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 12 | Engine | 0 |
| Spanish Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 18 | Collision | 0 |
| Portuguese Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 25 | P7 | 0 |
| Italian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 19 | P10 | 0 |
| Belgian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | — | Did not qualify | 0 |
| Hungarian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 20 | Accident | 0 |
| German Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 18 | Spun off | 0 |
| British Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 16 | P8 | 0 |
| French Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 19 | Engine | 0 |
| Canadian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | — | Did not qualify | 0 |
| United States Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 23 | Throttle | 0 |
| Mexican Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 15 | Spun off | 0 |
| Monaco Grand Prix | Team Lotus | — | Did not qualify | 0 |
| San Marino Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 24 | Not classified | 0 |
| Brazilian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 21 | P8 | 0 |
198816 races▾
| Grand Prix | Team | Grid | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 13 | Collision | 0 |
| Japanese Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 6 | P7 | 0 |
| Spanish Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 15 | Spun off | 0 |
| Portuguese Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 16 | Spun off | 0 |
| Italian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 12 | Engine | 0 |
| Belgian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 8 | Engine | 0 |
| Hungarian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 19 | P7 | 0 |
| German Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 8 | P9 | 0 |
| British Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 10 | P10 | 0 |
| French Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 8 | P7 | 0 |
| Detroit Grand Prix | Team Lotus | — | Did not qualify | 0 |
| Canadian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 13 | P11 | 0 |
| Mexican Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 6 | Engine | 0 |
| Monaco Grand Prix | Team Lotus | — | Did not qualify | 0 |
| San Marino Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 12 | P8 | 0 |
| Brazilian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 10 | P6 | 1 |
198716 races▾
| Grand Prix | Team | Grid | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 14 | Hydraulics | 0 |
| Japanese Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 11 | P6 | 1 |
| Mexican Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 16 | Accident | 0 |
| Spanish Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 18 | P9 | 0 |
| Portuguese Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 15 | P8 | 0 |
| Italian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 14 | P11 | 0 |
| Austrian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 13 | P13 | 0 |
| Hungarian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 17 | Driveshaft | 0 |
| German Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 14 | Turbo | 0 |
| British Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 12 | P4 | 3 |
| French Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 16 | Not classified | 0 |
| Detroit Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 24 | Accident | 0 |
| Monaco Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 17 | P10 | 0 |
| Belgian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 15 | P5 | 2 |
| San Marino Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 12 | P6 | 1 |
| Brazilian Grand Prix | Team Lotus | 12 | P7 | 0 |