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When Super Aguri finally announced its 2006 driver line-up on Wednesday February 15, just days before its first official test, it came as no surprise when former Jordan and BAR driver, Takuma Sato was named.
However, the name of the second driver, caused widespread cries of "who?" followed by hasty Google searches.
Yuji first started racing Karts in 1990, aged 15, and over the next four seasons enjoyed much success in his homeland in various classes.
In 1994, the nineteen-year-old switched to single-seaters, participating in the Japanese F3 Championship. Although in Western countries, F3 is seen as a stepping-stone, and drivers will only usually spend three or four seasons, in Japan it is a little different, hence Yuji spent virtually seven seasons contesting the series, before moving to Europe and contesting the French (F3) Championship.
Ironically, Yuji never won the Japanese F3 Championship, though he finished runner-up in 2000, however, he did take time out of F3 to win the 1999 Formula Dream series.
Between 2003 and 2005, Yuji contested the Formula Nippon series in addition to taking part in the Japan GT Championship.
Formula Nippon saw him make quick progress, finishing seventh in 2003, third in 2004 and runner-up in 2005, courtesy of wins at Mine and Suzuka.
The move from Japan GT and Formula Nippon to Formula One represents a massive step, and at 31, it was a move that poor old Yuji was unable to make.
It would be entirely wrong to single out the driver and dismiss his as one of those who should never been allowed to 'grace' an F1 grid, the fact is that he was unprepared for F1 in the same way that his team was. The situation is best summed up by Aguri Suzuki. "He was a good talent but he had no experience in Formula One, how to use Formula One tyres. He didn't know the circuits and we hadn't had any tests before the Grands Prix. And his English wasn't good enough - I had to translate everything for his engineers."
After four races, Yuji had completed just 145 laps, having suffered reliability issues in three of them. And though it was obvious that the Japanese driver was not going to be the next big thing, it still took everyone by surprise when, on the Thursday of the European GP, the FIA revoked his superlicence, thereby bringing his F1 career to an abrupt halt. There was talk of a return but it never happened.
At the end of 2006 Season
Drivers' Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 1
Grand Prix: 4
Wins: 0
Points: 0
Poles: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
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