What an honour.
No, seriously…getting to meet Sato sounds pretty awesome.
It’s been a busy year for Japan’s national treasure, Takuma Sato. Winning the Indy 500 gets you invited to all kinds of events. Takuma-san became just the 33rd recipient of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Award in August.
Sato was a guest of honour at this year’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, where he drove the legendary 1967 Honda RA300 Formula 1 car, which John Surtees raced to victory at Monza 40 years earlier. Takuma also handled podium interviews, where a clearly jealous Lewis Hamilton borrowed Sato’s Indy 500 Championship ring!
The Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver also received a Honda NSX as a special gift from Honda.
One of the duties of a national treasure is being invited to all kinds of events. The IndyCar driver was an invited guest at a state banquet in Tokyo hosted by Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in marking President Trump’s visit to Japan.
Despite the hectic schedule, and some of the questionable people poor Sato has had to interact with, he still looks alike a very happy man.
"I look at the face, and he’s just a happy man, as I am.” – @TakumaSatoRacer pic.twitter.com/w8G0sEF0h2
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) October 23, 2017