Satoru Nakajima

I have a real soft spot for Satoru Nakajima, because he's the guy who actually kicked the door open. He was Japan's first full-time Formula One driver, and when you remember how rare that was in the late '80s, it reframes everything that came after him. I love that he doesn't fit the swaggering racer cliche at all. Born in Okazaki, Aichi, standing just 165cm with that mild, almost gentle face, he never seemed like the type carrying that much fire. But he clearly was. I imagine the country glued to the TV during the Suzuka years, and honestly that gets me. And he didn't just drive and vanish, he stuck around to develop younger talent. A quiet, stubborn craftsman of a pioneer. The kind you respect more the less he brags.

Satoru Nakajima is a Japanese racing driver born on February 23, 1953, in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture. He is best known as the first Japanese driver to compete full-time in Formula 1, pioneering the path for Japanese drivers in the sport. After his driving career he remained involved in motorsport, supporting the next generation of racing talent. He stands 165 cm tall.

Name (English)

Satoru Nakajima

Name (Japanese)

中嶋悟

Reading

なかじま さとる

Born

February 23, 1953 (age 73)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Pisces / Snake (Mi)

Origin

Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Height

165cm

Occupation

Racing Driver / Formula 1 Driver

Motto

Private

• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E5%B6%8B%E6%82%9F

Tags

• From Aichi Prefecture
• Racing Driver
• Formula 1 Driver

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.