Can Kakunoshin Ohta's switch to IndyCar emulate Alex Palou's success?
But, no matter how impressive his run at the wheel of a one-off additional Honda-powered Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car at Indy, in which he led a field-high 51 laps, there's no escaping the fact that 48-year-old Sato is approaching the twilight of his career.
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Since 2002, thanks largely to the efforts of engine supplier Honda, there has always been at least one Japanese driver on the grid for the 500. However, for years, there was no clear candidate to take over the baton from Sato, who made his debut way back in 2010 after the collapse of the Super Aguri team brought his Formula 1 career to a premature end.
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That has changed in the last six months or so with Super Formula driver Kakunoshin Ohta emerging as someone who could, one day, keep the Japanese flame at Indy burning.
Those who follow Super Formula closely will need no introduction to Ohta, who has scored five victories in the single-seater series for the Honda-powered Dandelion Racing team in the last 18 months or so and is right in the thick of this year's title battle.
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Off the back of those performances, as well as some strong form in Super GT, Ohta was selected by Honda to participate in three races in the IMSA SportsCar Championship at the wheel of a Meyer Shank Racing Acura LMDh, beginning with the Daytona 24 Hours.
Kakunoshin Ohta, DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING
Kakunoshin Ohta, DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING
But it isn't just his on-track abilities that convinced Honda to support Ohta to become the first Japanese driver to race at the top-level in the United States since Sato 15 years ago.
As HRC president Koji Watanabe explained in an exclusive interview with Autosport, Ohta's strong desire to spread his wings beyond Japan – far from universal among Super Formula drivers – and his English ability, further honed driving Mercedes GT3 machinery for Hong Kong outfit Craft-Bamboo Racing in recent times, were also key factors.
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'Especially those drivers who are young and express a strong desire to race abroad, we want to support them in doing so,' Watanabe told Motorsport.com.
"I was there at Daytona so I could see his driving and his communication with the team with my own eyes, and he was communicating with the team in the way I had hoped" Koji Watanabe
'Ohta in particular has shown his skills and that he has a tremendous amount of margin to grow, which means we have high expectations of him. He is also fluent in English and very good at communicating with the team, both on the technical side and private conversation.
'He has always indicated a strong desire to race overseas, a strong will, that we wanted to support. Those were the big points in terms of selecting Ohta.'
So far, Ohta's IMSA campaign has been forgettable in terms of results. Not long after his first race stint in the #93 Acura ARX-06 at Daytona, the car dropped many laps off the pace due to a suspension problem, and while he was set for further mileage at Sebring in an LMP2 car, an early accident for one of his Era Motorsport team-mates meant he didn't even get to drive.
The Japanese driver is getting extra racing experience with LMP2 outings for Era Motorsport in IMSA
The Japanese driver is getting extra racing experience with LMP2 outings for Era Motorsport in IMSA
But Ohta will have two more chances to shine in the Acura, one at Watkins Glen this weekend and the other at Indianapolis later in the year, as well as a further outing for Era Motorsport in LMP2 at Road America as he builds up his experience in the US – all while jetting back and forth to Japan to fight for the Super Formula title.
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'I think so far Ohta has done a great job in quite a challenging environment,' added Watanabe. 'I was there at Daytona so I could see his driving and his communication with the team with my own eyes, and he was communicating with the team in the way I had hoped. Sadly due to an issue with the car he wasn't able to get a result, but I am looking forward to seeing how he does in the next race at Watkins Glen. I have high hopes for him.'
Ohta has made it clear in previous conversations with Motorsport.com that he is hoping to use his new-found connections with Meyer Shank Racing to land a test in IndyCar machinery. Indeed, the 25-year-old who goes by 'Kaku' in the IMSA paddock visited the Indy 500 last month straight after a test at Watkins Glen, soaking in the action together with Watanabe.
But Watanabe is keen to stress that Ohta must first prove his worth in IMSA before any serious discussions about a future in IndyCar can take place.
'I know he has various goals and ambitions, as top athletes should have,' said Watanabe. 'What I have said to him is that I want to see him focus on what is in front of him, get good results in IMSA, perform well, then we can think about the next step.
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'So in this year's IMSA races, although there aren't many opportunities left, I am hoping he can get good results, such as a podium finish. This is our expectation. As for future possibilities for him, we want to see what aspirations he has for himself, and then we would also have to consider what HRC's circumstances are like.'
Sato can still call on support from Honda, but his personal backers enable him to continue to compete in IndyCar
Sato can still call on support from Honda, but his personal backers enable him to continue to compete in IndyCar
Asked whether a full-time IMSA ride would be the logical next step for Ohta, Watanabe replied: 'That is one possibility. At the appropriate timing we'll decide based on his results.'
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Financial considerations will of course play a role in any ambitions Ohta may have to race in IndyCar. With his profile and connections, Sato has been able to gather the sponsorship money needed to race at Indy through largely his own efforts in recent years, and it's far from clear whether any other HRC driver would be able to raise the required sums.
'Takuma's Indy 500 programme is not so much a works Honda programme, but rather it's a result of his love for Indy and his strong desire to compete, which has allowed him to gather support from various sources, including from Honda,' clarified Watanabe, adding he "personally believes" Sato will still be on the grid next season.
"If we find someone that ticks these boxes, we'll make a decision on whether to support them" Koji Watanabe
'In the future, we will consider if there is a driver with the same determination to race at Indy as Takuma, as well as someone with the required level of talent. If we find someone that ticks these boxes, we'll make a decision on whether to support them.'
As Watanabe stresses, there are no guarantees at this stage, but Ohta being given the chance to race in IMSA this year already marks the biggest opportunity handed to a Japanese Honda driver outside of the traditional ladder to F1 for many years.
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And if Ohta was ever to make the move to IndyCar from Super Formula, he would be following the same path taken by a certain Alex Palou five years ago – a move that most would probably agree didn't work out too badly…
Palou and Ohta were team-mates at the Daytona 24 Hours, but can the Japanese driver follow the path the Spaniard took to reach IndyCar?
Palou and Ohta were team-mates at the Daytona 24 Hours, but can the Japanese driver follow the path the Spaniard took to reach IndyCar?
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