The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato is the father of two with his wife, Chiharu Sato. Despite her husband’s immense popularity, Chiharu is assiduously private about her personal life.
One of the finest drivers of his time, Takuma Sato, has done his best to keep his private life away from the public limelight.
His wife, Chiharu, has supported him in his stance as both are distant from social media.
The driver has a Twitter and Instagram account, but it’s only for work. Unlike his younger peers, Josef Newgarden and Marcus Ericsson, Takuma loves to keep his family life low-key.
There have been rumors swirling around his retirement for the past few years, and given his age, it’s not a far fetch thought. In the latest Indy Car Series 500, he finished seventh and was the fastest driver during the final practice session.
Takuma Sato Wife Chiharu Sato & Kids
Takuma Sato’s wife, Chiharu Sato, remains away from the public limelight. Despite being married for more than a decade, the couple has never given the fans any glimpse of their private life.
The Japanese race car driver first crossed paths with his wife, Chiharu, in 2003, in Tokyo. The couple dated for two years before marrying on July 31, 2005.
Since then, they have parented two kids. They welcomed their first child, son Rintaro Sato, on December 23, 2006.
Later, on September 30, 2008, the duo became parents for the second time with the birth of a daughter at Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco.
In a conversation with Indycar.com in 2020, Takuma talked about his Indianapolis 500 win and also spoke about his family and kids.
At the time, due to the COVID pandemic, Takuma was forced to be distant from his family. While he practiced in America, Takuma’s family, including his wife and kids, lived in Europe.
The veteran racer said it was all thanks to technology that he was in touch with his family and that they would connect through FaceTime.
He added that he is surprised to see his son and daughter grow up so quickly and said he looked forward to seeing them in the off-season.
Extra-Marital Affair: Cheating Scandal Of Sato
In 2017, the story of Takuma having an extra-marital affair with announcer Satoko Naito made headlines in his country and America.
The former F1 driver and Satoko first met in 2010, and it was a couple of years later Chiharu knew about their affair. The couple was said to be on the verge of divorce, but they might have sorted it out among themselves.
Takuma Sato Mother Is His No.1 Supporter
Takuma Sato’s mother continues to live in Japan but has made trips to the US to watch their son rule the race tracks.
The Japanese driver caught the racing bug when he and his dad attended the Japanese Grand Prix in 1987. Takuma didn’t come from a racing background, in fact, his dad was a lawyer by profession.
In his formative years, Takuma wanted to race not in F1 but in Tour de France. But that night, watching Ayrton Senna in his Lotus made Takuma think about giving racing a chance.
Takuma started his racing career at 20. By then, he had earned his parents’ trust that he could make a career in racing. His dad passed away in 2011, before the Iowa Speedway race, where he earned his first pole position.
In a 2015 interview with Indycar.com, his mother, Akiko, stated (translated) that she is not only Sato’s mother but also his fan, “When I go to the races, I go not only as a mother but as one of Taku’s fans.”
In 2020, Akiko celebrated her son winning the Indy Car Series 500 from her home in Japan. Due to the timing difference, Akiko woke up at 2:30 AM to watch the race.
By the end of the race, she was in tears of joy.
We probably would’ve known much more about Takuma and his family if the veteran racer didn’t shy away from sharing his life on social media. Maybe after his retirement, we can see the veteran more often on social media.
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