09/12/2020
NEWS STORY
AlphaTauri will field an all-Japanese line-up next week when Marino Sato joins Yuki Tsunoda at the Young Driver Test.
Sato, who has just finished his first season of the F2 Championship, driving for the Trident team, began karting in 2004 and in 2011 he moved to Europe to start his single-seater career in the Italian F4 Championship in 2015.
He graduated to Formula 3 in 2017 and in 2019 he took nine wins in the Euroformula Open Championship to claim the title against strong opposition like Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda and he made his F2 debut that same year.
Following a difficult season, Sato finished 22nd in the championship with just 1 point.
"I am extremely happy to be given this opportunity from AlphaTauri to drive an F1 car," said Sato. "We will try to do as many laps as possible to get used to the car quickly and to learn maximum out of it for whatever it comes in future.
"Obviously to be driving an F1 car is the dream of every racing driver, for sure I will enjoy a lot around Abu Dhabi!"
"We are pleased to have Marino Sato on board for the test because he did a solid job throughout the season in F2 this year," said Franz Tost, "so he deserves a run in Formula One.
"We are convinced he can do a good job as he is a skilled driver," he continued. "The plan for the test is simple, getting him to do as many laps as possible to give him a good feeling for an F1 car. This test will be very useful, both for us and for Marino and we will do our best to help him understand how an F1 team operates in all its different aspects.
"In addition, from a technical point of view he will certainly learn something from which he will benefit next year, when he will continue in the F2 Championship. I think this is a very good preparation for his future and it's a pleasure to be part of his development towards what we hope will be a very successful career."