Quick Facts
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Kotaro Sakurai (桜井孝太郎, Sakurai Kōtarō, born 29 June 1994 in Tokyo) is a Japanese racing driver. Sakurai raced under Filipino license in Formula BMW Pacific and currently in the GP3 Series.
Career
Karting
Sakurai began his racing career in karting at the age of nine and raced in Japan and Australia.
Formula BMW Pacific
In 2010, Sakurai graduated to single–seaters into the Formula BMW Pacific series in Asia, joining Eurasia Motorsport and racing under a Filipino racing licence. He scored a podium in the second race of the opening round at Sepang and achieved seven more point-scoring finishes on his way to eighth in the championship.
Toyota Racing Series
Sakurai participated in the Toyota Racing Series in early 2011 with M2 Competition, finishing fourteenth in the championship, the lowest-placed of the International Trophy drivers to contest the series.
Formula Three
In 2011, Sakurai decided to race in Europe, taking part in the rebranded Rookie Class of the British Formula 3 Championship with Hitech Racing.Bart Hylkema was his only class rival in the first half of the championship, before he graduated to the International Class, allowing Sakurai to take the championship title. During the season he also appeared in the Brands Hatch round of the European F3 Open Championship.
GP3 Series
Sakurai raced in the GP3 Series in 2012 with Status Grand Prix.
Racing record
Career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | FLaps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Formula BMW Pacific | Eurasia Motorsport | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 68 | 8th |
| 2011 | British Formula 3 Rookie Class | Hitech Racing | 28 | 15 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 378 | 1st |
| Toyota Racing Series | M2 Competition | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 325 | 14th | |
| European F3 Open Championship | Team West-Tec | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22nd | |
| 2012 | GP3 Series | Status Grand Prix | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24th |
| Auto GP World Series | Euronova Racing | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 19th |
Complete GP3 Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Status Grand Prix | CATFEA 18 | CATSPR 12 | MONFEA 13 | MONSPR 20 | VALFEA | VALSPR | SILFEA 15 | SILSPR 13 | HOCFEA | HOCSPR | HUNFEA | HUNSPR | SPAFEA | SPASPR | MNZFEA | MNZSPR | 24th | 0 |