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?”