17-Year-Old Racer Nicknamed ‘Robot’ Makes History with First Japanese National Anthem at Imola F1

In May 1994, at the Italian Imola Circuit, the holy land of F1.

During the San Marino GP, “The Prince of Speed” Ayrton Senna crashed into the concrete wall at the ultra-fast left corner, Tamburello, after failing to navigate the turn. It was an instant death. The accident during the race, broadcasted worldwide, and the news of his death at the young age of 34, plunged many F1 fans into a sea of grief.

Exactly 30 years after the tragedy at Imola, in June of this year, a 17-year-old Japanese youth, who only knew Senna by name, drove through the Tamburello corner in the lead and stood in the middle of the podium. It was the first time “Kimigayo” played at the holy land of Imola. Although it was in the lower category of F1, F4, it was a moment when a young Japanese challenger achieved a remarkable feat.

In the three races of the Italian F4 held in June, Hiyu Yamakoshi (born in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo in 2006, and who moved to Europe at the young age of 15) secured pole position in all qualifying rounds and won the first and second races consecutively. He is a rising star in Japanese motorsports, continuing to achieve results in Italian F4 and Euro F4.

I visited Yamakoshi, who had returned to Japan during a short summer vacation.

 

Pride of the “Robot”

“I have collected Tomica mini cars since I was a child. I don’t have a clear memory of it, but my parents told me that I would always race the mini cars by moving them with my hands. It’s undeniable that mini cars were the beginning of everything.”

From his still youthful appearance, it’s hard to imagine him now racing against the world’s top drivers in a formula car with a top speed of 245 km/h.

“The trigger for becoming a racer was riding go-karts during a family trip to Guam when I was in the second grade. I enjoyed controlling the machine myself, and as soon as we returned to Japan, I asked my parents to take me to a karting facility. Until then, I had tried my father’s hobbies like skiing and golf, but they couldn’t compare to the appeal of karting. I practiced desperately at a kids’ school at a circuit in Hannō City, Saitama Prefecture.”

Yamakoshi quickly blossomed with his talent and accumulated victories in races.

“When I was in the sixth grade, I directly asked my parents, ‘If I win the next national championship, I want to challenge races abroad.’ I don’t remember why I said such a grand thing, but I do recall having a sort of intuition that this is going to be a turning point.”

In the “SL Kart National Championship 2019,” where only the top scorers from races held across Japan can compete, Yamakoshi achieved a stunning victory. It seemed like the door to overseas racing was open, but—

“My parents immediately started looking for study abroad opportunities. However, it coincided with the spread of COVID-19, and I spent the next two years focusing on domestic races. My father managed to create an opportunity for me to participate in European races around the time when the pandemic eased, just a little over two months before my middle school graduation. Since I would be unable to return to Japan for three months after going to Europe, I missed the graduation ceremony. But I had no doubts. My homeroom teacher and the principal were supportive, and my father received the diploma on my behalf.”

Doing things differently from others can be frightening; standing out in an odd way can seem uncool—these are common feelings during adolescence. Yet, amid such insecurities, Yamakoshi made the decision to compete in Europe. His study abroad destination was Switzerland. At the time, he couldn’t speak any English.

“Now I can use English comfortably for daily life, but back then, I struggled with speaking and listening. But it was a good thing. I didn’t go to Europe to make friends. I left Japan to race. I prioritized my training over communicating with classmates. As a result, I was given the nickname ‘Robot.’ Because I didn’t understand the language, I didn’t laugh. Perhaps it was because I was always focused on weight training.”

Though the nickname could potentially lead to bullying, Yamakoshi’s expression revealed a strong core, as if to say, “So what?”

Even with dreams in mind, many young people studying abroad struggle with differences in environment and culture. There are many sweet temptations. Some may be swayed by those around them and waste precious time on easier paths. Countless athletes and researchers face these challenges. But Yamakoshi was different. Even on days off from classes and races, he never missed training and studied races on YouTube.

“With internet access, I could keep up with popular Japanese TV shows and trends. However, I chose not to. I wasn’t interested.”

The image of Shohei Ohtani, who is still called a “baseball kid” at 30 and spends most of his private life on baseball, came to mind. Unlike team sports like baseball, Yamakoshi has no colleagues or teammates to call his own. He must self-regulate, motivate himself, and continue fighting alone. I was deeply impressed by his stoicism and mental strength. However, even “Yamakoshi has something he fears.”

“An accident, yes. As long as it’s motorsport, accidents can’t be completely avoided”

Hearing the word “scary,” I thought I was finally seeing a 17-year-old’s true face, but I was surprised by the reason behind it.

“If I have an accident, the machine gets damaged and costs money to repair. It would be troublesome for the sponsors. Also, if I get injured, I won’t be able to train until I recover. I would waste valuable time. So that’s why I’m afraid of accidents.”

Just like his nickname “Robot,” Yamakoshi continued without changing his expression.

“There are different types of accidents, and there are times when it feels like a split second and times when it feels like it’s in slow motion. This is just my own speculation, but I think that accidents that feel like a split second are those that don’t threaten life. Accidents that feel like they’re in slow motion are the ones that involve a danger to life. Even if it seems slow, you can’t avoid an accident with handling alone.”

When a person senses a crisis, the brain tries to maximize its function even at the cost of reducing other bodily functions, like vision, resulting in the perception of everything around them moving in slow motion. This phenomenon, known as tachypsychia, is being studied by experts, but it is rarely experienced by people in ordinary life. It is a unique experience in the world of motorsports where encountering such situations is inevitable.

Despite this, Yamakoshi’s fear of accidents is not because of the danger to life, but because of the “possibility of his dream being pushed further away.”

“I think the limit for debuting as an F1 driver is 2030, around the age of 25 to 26. With young drivers emerging one after another from around the world, only 20 drivers can be contracted by F1 teams. Considering that, being 17 is not that young. I don’t have time to take detours.”

How does his mother view the growth of such a stoic young man?

“I have always watched him start karting on his own, becoming passionate, and learning about joy and frustration. However, I never expected the time for him to be independent at just 15. Now, I support him with all my might and watch every race via YouTube’s live stream. Still, I close my eyes at the start because it’s still scary. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”

Despite his mother’s worries, Yamakoshi makes a strong start and aggressively tackles the corners. He won’t be applying the brakes on his path toward becoming an F1 driver.

At the Italian Imola Circuit, where the Tamburello Corner is visible, a statue of Ayrton Senna stands. Many fans still visit to pay their respects, leaving Brazilian flags and bouquets. Senna had a close, almost familial relationship with Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda, the engine manufacturer of the car he was driving at the time. The epicenter of motorsports is Europe, and there was a dream to make a name for South America’s Brazil and Asia’s Japan in Europe. Due to this background, Senna came to love Japan and was loved in return. One wonders what thoughts Senna might have as he watches over the Japanese youth continuing his lonely battle at the corner where he lost his own life.

After the interview, when asked about his summer vacation plans, Yamakoshi finally removed his “robot” mask and showed a genuinely youthful smile.

“I’m going to Shibuya with friends to eat hitsumabushi and okonomiyaki. After that, I’ll relax at a super sento. These are all things not available in Switzerland.”