# Who is the best Japanese F1 driver of all time?

> Nobody from Japan has won a race, yet a few of these drivers made podiums and plenty of noise. Pole-sitting is rare; being unforgettable is not.

*By YPB Team · Published October 22, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-japanese-f1-driver-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Kamui Kobayashi** — score 1000/1000
   Fan favorite who finished on the podium at his home race in Suzuka for Sauber in 2012.
2. **Takuma Sato** — score 591/1000
   Podium finisher at the 2004 US Grand Prix who later won the Indianapolis 500 twice.
3. **Ukyo Katayama** — score 590/1000
   Tyrrell driver through the mid-1990s known for his speed and a points finish in 1994.
4. **Aguri Suzuki** — score 389/1000
   Scored the first podium by a Japanese driver at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix.
5. **Kazuki Nakajima** — score 389/1000
   Williams driver from 2007 to 2009 and son of Satoru Nakajima.
6. **Satoru Nakajima** — score 0/1000
   Japan's first full-time F1 driver, who raced for Lotus and Tyrrell from 1987 to 1991.
7. **Yuki Tsunoda** — score 0/1000
   Honda-backed driver who came through the Red Bull junior ranks and reached the senior team.
8. **Taki Inoue** — score 0/1000
   Arrows driver remembered for being run over by a marshal's car at the 1995 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Tags: sports, formula-1, japan, racing, drivers