Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

What’s going on at Aston Martin – and how does the team find a way out of its hole?

Feature
Formula 1
What’s going on at Aston Martin – and how does the team find a way out of its hole?

BTCC Donington Park: Rowbottom gives Plato’s team a debut win after Ingram penalty

BTCC
Donington Park (National Circuit)
BTCC Donington Park: Rowbottom gives Plato’s team a debut win after Ingram penalty

Watch live: Nurburgring 24 Hours Qualifiers – Verstappen in action in Race 1

GT
Watch live: Nurburgring 24 Hours Qualifiers – Verstappen in action in Race 1

WEC Imola: Giovinazzi snatches pole for Ferrari

WEC
Imola
WEC Imola: Giovinazzi snatches pole for Ferrari

The work going on in Maranello keeping Ferrari flat out in F1’s April break

Formula 1
The work going on in Maranello keeping Ferrari flat out in F1’s April break

How MotoGP's concessions system will work in 850cc new era

MotoGP
How MotoGP's concessions system will work in 850cc new era

BTCC Donington Park: Ingram leads Cook and Plato Mercedes pair in practice; 2027 calendar revealed

BTCC
Donington Park (National Circuit)
BTCC Donington Park: Ingram leads Cook and Plato Mercedes pair in practice; 2027 calendar revealed

How a BTCC support series demonstrates British single-seaters’ turnaround in fortunes

Feature
National
How a BTCC support series demonstrates British single-seaters’ turnaround in fortunes

Yamamoto Struggling with F1 Demands

Sakon Yamamoto has said that he is going to need to up his strength before he drives the third Jordan at the Japanese Grand Prix, following a difficult debut test at Silverstone this week

The Japanese driver has spent the last two days getting up to speed with Formula One machinery, but has told Autosport-Atlas that he has had some struggles in terms of the physical demands of driving the cars.

He was six seconds off the pace on his first day, and two seconds slower than Anthony Davidson, who tried the Jordan out on Tuesday, before ending his running early today after rain hit the test. 

It was the final time he will get to drive the car before he runs for Jordan on the Friday at Suzuka.

"I am finding it difficult in the high speed corners at the moment, because I cannot put my foot down" said Yamamoto.  "Although at the moment I am apparently as quick as Anthony in the slow corners, which is good.

"I am not used to putting my foot down with so much downforce working for me, and the acceleration of the car is so much higher than I thought. It is much more than the lateral force and I feel I need to train the muscles in the front and the back of my neck.

"At the moment, even opening my mouth hurts from all the acceleration and braking. I really have to build up my G-force resistance."

Yamamoto is flying back to Japan tomorrow, in readiness for next weekend's round of the Japanese Super GT Series.

Previous article Analysis: F1 Squeezes Out the Pay Drivers
Next article Jordan: Willams' Cosworth Deal a Mistake

Top Comments