Takuma Sato is one of three drivers to have won the Indianapolis 500. But, is this enough for him to be considered a favorite for the victory in the race? It seems that some favorites are given extra consideration by the racing teams and management. In this case, Takuma Sato fits in that category. But, is he a favorite, in what category?
To begin with, Takuma Sato was brought into the car to replace the retired driver, Mark Rath, who had announced his retirement from driving. The team decided to put him in the car because they felt that he could do well in the car. They also wanted to bring in a driver who had experience in being a race car driver, as they lacked experience in road cars. In other words, they needed someone who could drive the car and also handle the competition.
Sato started out in the race after qualifying on pole. He was soon joined by another driver, but before the race could get underway, another driver fell ill and missed the start. That meant that Sato would be the man in the seat of the lead car. In fact, he handled the competition well, finishing second place. But, is this enough for a driver to be considered a favorite? Is winning second place in an event like the Indianapolis 500 important?
The answer is no. Just being in the lead doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed a win. What it means is that you have a better chance than anyone else in the competition does. This is particularly true in the case of younger drivers. Younger drivers can have trouble with consistency in the elements of driving and competition. It takes time to develop the skills of a new driver.
Takuma Sato didn’t improve as a driver over the year, but he did improve enough to qualify for the second race of the season. It is unrealistic to expect him to be as good as he was in the first half of the season, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t have a good shot at winning the next time around. In the two races before he started winning, he started out fast but was over-qualified and ran into problems on the track. If he had made more adjustments, perhaps he would have been able to challenge for victories in those races.
There’s no way to say how accurate that prediction is. Only time will tell. Takuma Sato may end up being the best rookie driver in history, but the rest of the field will also have seasons to top. There is little doubt that rookie victories will make Takuma Sato the most popular driver in the paddock, but he will never be as popular or successful as Lewis Hamilton.
It’s hard to put too much stock into what the doctor does during the race. We all know he is prone to errors, he has trouble keeping a consistent engine, and he doesn’t handle the steering wheel very well. All those things affect him on a daily basis. He can’t control them all, which means he will probably be one of the least successful drivers in the series. I wouldn’t count on it.
On paper, Takuma Sato is a rookie driver who has just started to win races. But if he’d started racing for other teams a little earlier, he may have been considered one of the favorites. It is easy to find drivers who have more experience than Takuma Sato, who started out racing for other organizations. Takuma Sato will have to prove himself this year and beyond, but as long as he keeps winning, he will have shown himself to be a quality driver, capable of holding his own against the best of the best.
