is a Japanese racing driver for Toyota Gazoo Racing who is currently competing in Super GT for Racing Project Bandoh and in Super Formula for Cerumo・INGING. He is the champion of the 2020 Formula Regional Japanese Championship.
Career Early career
Sakaguchi began his senior competition career in 2015, competing for Sutekina Racing Team in the final four rounds of the F4 Japanese Championship. Through eight races that season, he registered a podium at Motegi and finished outside of the points just once, taking 10th in the championship. The following season, he graduated to the Japanese F3 Championship, taking part thanks to the Honda Formula Dream Project. Sakaguchi continued competing in F4 during 2016, tallying his first win in the series at Motegi en route to a second-place point finish. In his maiden F3 season, Sakaguchi would finish 9th in points.
Sakaguchi returned to F3 in 2017 with Honda support, finishing an improved 6th in points, netting his first podium in the series at the penultimate race at Sugo. In 2018, Sakaguchi joined Toda Racing and built upon his previous results, finishing fourth in points off the back of five podium finishes in 17 races. Following the 2018 season, Sakaguchi was released from his junior driver role at Honda.
Sakaguchi raced in F3 2019 season tallying three podiums in five races driving for TOM'S. Following the Japanese F3 split at the end of 2019, Sakaguchi competed in both of the resulting series during 2020. In the Super Formula Lights series, Sakaguchi ran the full season with B-Max Racing. Despite finishing just one race outside of the podium positions, he would finish second in the standings, nearly 40 points behind Ritomo Miyata. In the K2 Planet-promoted Formula Regional Japanese Championship, however, Sakaguchi won all eleven races that he competed in, taking the championship by just over 50 points despite missing the triple-header at Sugo.
Super Formula Sakaguchi would have been his debut in the Super Formula Championship with Team Mugen, filling in for Nirei Fukuzumi, who was competing in the F2 Championship that weekend. However, the race was canceled due to inclement weather. Later, in 2020, he filled in for Kondo Racing's Kenta Yamashita during the Super Formula Championship round at Okayama. However, Sakaguchi once again was unable to make it to the grid, crashing on the warm-up lap and failing to officially register his Super Formula debut.
For 2021, Sakaguchi secured a full-time ride in Super Formula with P.mu/cerumo・INGING, replacing retiring two-time series champion Hiroaki Ishiura. In his rookie season, Sakaguchi claimed two podium finishes en route to a seventh-place points finish, taking second at the rain-shortened round at Autopolis and the second event at Motegi. Sakaguchi endured a quiet 2023 season in Super Formula, finishing a season-high fifth at Motegi.
Super GT GT300 2019 marked Sakaguchi's first experience with sports car racing, as he joined K-Tunes Racing for the 2019 Super GT Series season, competing alongside veteran Morio Nitta in the GT300 class. The drive came about thanks to Sakaguchi's uncle, Ryōhei Sakaguchi a racing driver who was competing in the series and had connections with the K-Tunes team. Sakaguchi and Nitta would take two class victories that season; the rain-shortened season-opener at Okayama and Round 3 at Suzuka, finishing second in points. Sakaguchi would return to K-tunes Racing for the last three rounds in 2021 after competed mostly in GT500.
GT300
During 2020, Sakaguchi also played the role of substitute on two occasions, initially replacing Heikki Kovalainen in TGR Team SARD's GT500 class entry at Fuji in July. For 2021, visa issues for Frenchman Sacha Fenestraz enabled Sakaguchi to add a part-time campaign in the GT500 class of the Super GT series. He would pair with Ryo Hirakawa for the first five rounds of the season, taking pole at the opening round alongside two podium finishes.
Ahead of 2022, Sakaguchi moved to the GT500 class full-time, pairing with Yuji Kunimoto in the #19 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh entry. Despite Sakaguchi himself claiming three individual poles and the entry scoring four total, the team would only finish 11th in the championship, finishing no higher than fifth in any given race. At the conclusion of the season, sports car racing publication Sportscar365 named Sakaguchi as an honorable mention for their GT500 Driver of the Year. Sakaguchi would return to the team in 2023, paired once again with Kunimoto. The duo would claim the first GT500-class victory for Bandoh since 2016 in a red-flag shortened event at Suzuka, concluding the season 12th in the overall championship.
Racing record Career summary Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position 2015 F4 Japanese Championship Sutekina Racing Team 8 0 0 1 1 41 10th Super-FJ Okayama Series Drago Corse Toda Power 1 1 1 1 1 20 6th Super-FJ - Japan Finals Nakanihon Automotive College Toda Wako's 1 1 1 1 1 N/A 1st 2016 F4 Japanese Championship Honda Formula Dream Project 13 1 0 2 7 138 2nd Japanese Formula 3 Championship 17 0 0 0 1 20 9th 2017 Japanese Formula 3 Championship Honda Formula Dream Project 20 0 0 0 1 27 6th 2018 Japanese Formula 3 Championship Toda Racing 19 0 0 0 5 52 4th Macau Grand Prix 2 0 0 0 0 0 18th Super Formula Team Mugen 0 0 0 0 0 0 NC 2019 Super GT - GT300 K-tunes Racing 8 2 0 1 4 58 2nd Japanese Formula 3 Championship Corolla Chukyo Kuo TOM'S 5 0 0 0 3 20 8th 2020 Formula Regional Japanese Championship Sutekina Racing Team 11 11 8 8 11 275 1st Super Formula Lights B-Max Racing 17 4 5 2 16 116 2nd Super GT - GT300 K-tunes Racing 7 0 1 0 0 15 16th Super GT - GT500 TGR Team SARD 1 0 0 0 0 5 18th Super Formula Kondō Racing 0 0 0 0 0 0 NC Super Taikyū - ST-1 ADVICS Muta Racing2000250‡ 2nd‡ 2021 Super Formula P.mu/cerumo・INGING 7 0 0 0 2 35.5 7th Super GT - GT500 TGR Team KeePer TOM'S 5 0 1 1 2 28 14th Super GT - GT300 K-tunes Racing 3 0 0 0 1 15 16th Super Taikyū - ST-1 Tracy Sports20002124‡2nd‡2022 Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh8040028.511th Super Formula P.mu/cerumo・INGING100000618th Super Taikyu - ST-3 Tracy Sports1000199‡3rd‡2023 Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh810013012th Super Formula P.mu/cerumo・INGING900001512th2024 Super Formula Vertex Partners Cerumo・INGING 9 0 1 0 0 20 12th Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh 8 0 0 0 0 6 15th2025 Super Formula Sanki Vertex Partners Cerumo・INGING 12 0 0 0 0 38 10th Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh 8 0 2 1 0 18.5 15thSuper Taikyu - ST-USA-1Bingo Racing101002‡2nd‡Super Taikyu - ST-Xapr10000114‡3rd‡ 2026 Super Formula Sanki Vertex Partners Cerumo・INGING Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh SRO Japan Cup - GT3K-tunes RacingSuper Taikyu - ST-Xapr * Season still in progress. ‡ Team standings
Complete F4 Japanese Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 DC Pts 2015 Honda Formula Dream Project OKA1 OKA2 FUJ11 FUJ12 FUJ21 FUJ22 SUZ1 SUZ2 SUG1 SUG2 AUT1 AUT2 MOT1 MOT2 10th 41 2016 Honda Formula Dream ProjectOKA1 OKA2 FUJ11 FUJ12 SUG1 SUG2 FUJ21 FUJ22 FUJ23 SUZ1 SUZ2 MOT1 MOT2 MOT3 2nd 138
Complete Japanese Formula 3 results Year Team Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 DC Pts 2016Honda Formula Dream ProjectMugen Honda SUZ1 SUZ2 FUJ1 FUJ2 OKA1 OKA2 SUZ1 SUZ2 FUJ1 FUJ2 MOT1 MOT2 OKA1 OKA2 SUG1 SUG2 SUG3 9th 20 2017 Honda Formula Dream Project Toda OKA1 OKA2 OKA3 SUZ1 SUZ2 FUJ1 FUJ2 OKA1 OKA2 SUZ1 SUZ2 FUJ1 FUJ2 MOT1 MOT2 MOT3 AUT1 AUT2 SUG1 SUG2 6th 27 2018 Toda Racing Toda SUZ1 SUZ2 SUG1 SUG2 FUJ1 FUJ2 OKA1 OKA2 OKA3 MOT1 MOT2 MOT3 OKA1 OKA2 OKA3 SUG1 SUG2 SUG3 SUG4 FUJ1 FUJ2 4th 52 2019 Corolla Chukyo Kuo TOM'S Toyota TOM'S SUZ1 SUZ2 AUT1 AUT2 AUT3 OKA1 OKA2 OKA3 SUG1 SUG2 FUJ1 FUJ2 SUG1 SUG2 SUG3 MOT1 MOT2 MOT3 OKA1 OKA2 8th 20
Complete Formula Regional Japanese Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos Points 2020 Sutekina Racing Team FUJ11 FUJ12 FUJ13 SUG1 SUG2 SUG3 FUJ21 FUJ22 MOT1 MOT2 OKA1 OKA2 AUT1 AUT2 1st 275
Complete Super Formula Lights results Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 DC Pts 2020 B-Max Racing Team MOT1 MOT2 MOT3 OKA1 OKA2 SUG1 SUG2 SUG3 AUT1 AUT2 AUT3 SUZ1 SUZ2 SUZ3 FUJ1 FUJ2 FUJ3 2nd 116
Complete Super Formula results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DC Points 2018 Team Mugen Honda SUZ AUT SUG FUJ MOT OKA SUZ NC 0 2020 Kondō Racing Toyota MOT OKA SUG AUT SUZ SUZ FUJ NC 0 2021 P.mu cerumo・INGING Toyota FUJ SUZ AUT SUG MOT MOT SUZ 7th 35.5 2022 P.mu cerumo・INGING Toyota FUJ FUJ SUZ AUT SUG FUJ MOT MOT SUZ SUZ 18th 6 2023 P.mu cerumo・INGING Toyota FUJ FUJ SUZ AUT SUG FUJ MOT SUZ SUZ 12th 15 2024 Vertex Partners Cerumo・INGING Toyota SUZ AUT SUG FUJ MOT FUJ FUJ SUZ SUZ 12th 20 2025 Sanki Vertex Partners Cerumo・INGING Toyota SUZ SUZ MOT MOT AUT FUJ FUJ SUG FUJ SUZ SUZ SUZ 10th 38 2026 Sanki Vertex Partners Cerumo・INGING Toyota MOT MOT AUT SUZ SUZ FUJ FUJ SUG FUJ FUJ SUZ SUZ * Season still in progress.
Complete Super GT results Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Points 2019 K-tunes Racing Lexus RC F GT3 GT300 OKA FUJ SUZ BUR FUJ AUT SUG MOT 2nd 58 2020 K-tunes Racing Lexus RC F GT3 GT300 FUJ SUZ MOT FUJ SUZ MOT FUJ 16th 15 TGR Team SARD Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 FUJ 18th 5 2021 TGR Team KeePer TOM'S Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ MOT SUZ SUG 14th 28 K-tunes Racing Lexus RC F GT3 GT300 AUT MOT FUJ 16th 15 2022 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SUZ FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT 11th 28.5 2023 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500OKAFUJSUZFUJSUZSUGAUTMOT12th30 2024 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SUZ FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT 15th 6 2025 TGR Team WedsSport BANDOH Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SEP FS1 FS2 SUZ SUG AUT MOT 15th 18,5 2026 TGR Team WedsSport BANDOH Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SEP FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT
‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed. (Number) Driver did not take part in this sprint race, points are still awarded for the teammate's result. * Season still in progress.
References
External links Sena Sakaguchi at Motorsport.com