Taki Inoue

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters | check | ignoreblank = y | unknown = Template:Main other | preview = Page using Template:Infobox F1 driver with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | embed | child | subbox | name | Name | image | Image | image_size | upright | image_upright | alt | caption | birth_name | birth_date | birth_place | death_date | death_place | relations | relatives | nationality | Nationality | years | Years | teams | Teams | Team(s) | team | Team | engines | Engines | current_team | current team | Current team | 2025 Team | 2026 Team | car_number | car number | Car number | races | Races | championships | Championships | wins | Wins | podiums | Podiums | points | Points | poles | Poles | fastest_laps | fastest laps | Fastest laps | first_race | first race | First race | first_win | first win | First win | last_win | last win | Last win | last_race | last race | Last race | last_position | last position | Last position | last_season | last season | Last season | bf1_years | bf1 years | BF1 Years | bf1_races | bf1 races | BF1 Races | bf1_championships | bf1 championships | BF1 Championships | bf1_wins | bf1 wins | BF1 Wins | bf1_podiums | bf1 podiums | BF1 Podiums | bf1_points | bf1 points | BF1 Points | bf1_poles | bf1 poles | BF1 Poles | bf1_fastest_laps | bf1 fastest laps | BF1 Fastest laps | signature | signature_size | signature alt | signature_alt | website | module | module1 | module2 | module3 | module4 | module5 | record template1 | record template2 | record template3 | record template4 | record template5 | career template1 | career template2 | career template3 | career template4 | career template5 | updated | Updated }} Takachiho "Taki" Inoue (井上 隆智穂 Inoue Takachiho,<ref name="takichiho">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> born 5 September 1963) is a Japanese former racing driver.

Biography

Inoue was born in Kobe. He competed in the British Formula Ford Championship in 1988, followed by a spell in All-Japan Formula Three from 1989 to 1993 and a season in the International Formula 3000 championship in 1994.

Formula One

File:Inoue Footwork Monaco.jpg

Inoue's damaged car is towed back to the pits after his bizarre practice accident at the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix.

He participated in 18 Formula One Grand Prix races. His first appearance was a one-off race for Simtek at the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix, from which he retired. For the next year he moved to Footwork Arrows. Over the course of his career he scored no championship points. He is perhaps best remembered for two bizarre incidents while driving for Footwork in 1995.<ref name="unsafe"></ref> The first occurred after a practice session at Monaco, when his stalled car was being towed back to the pits when it was hit by a course car, driven by Jean Ragnotti, causing it to roll into the barriers, although Inoue was fit to race the next day. The second happened on Hungarian GP on live TV worldwide – attempting to assist the marshals in putting out the engine fire which had forced him out of the race, a safety car Tatra 623 driven to the scene by a marshal hit him, injuring his leg, although he recovered for the next race.<ref name="MTX">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="unsafe">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Taki Inoue Top Gear"/>

File:Taki Inoue 1995 Britain.jpg

Inoue driving for Footwork at the 1995 British Grand Prix

For most of the season his team-mate was Gianni Morbidelli, but late in the season Max Papis replaced Morbidelli, and was sometimes outpaced by Inoue. Entering the Template:F1 season, Inoue lobbied Tyrrell for a drive, but the team chose Ukyo Katayama with his Mild Seven sponsorship money from Japan Tobacco.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Instead, he was announced in January to drive for the Minardi team.<ref name="takichiho" /> However, one of his personal sponsors pulled out at the last minute and Inoue withdrew from F1. Minardi took on Giancarlo Fisichella instead.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Fisichella, the team's test driver in 1995, had backing from Marlboro Italy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

With his sponsorship reduced, Inoue was out of a drive in Formula One. After a brief switch to sportscars, he retired from racing at the end of 1999 and now manages drivers in his own country. He is also known for his self-deprecating humour, as Inoue publicly proclaimed himself as the "worst driver in Formula One", admitted that he initially had no idea what a pit stop was, and in an interview with the Top Gear magazine in 2015 stated that he was "not good enough to drive in F1".<ref name="Taki Inoue Red Bull Interview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Taki Inoue Top Gear">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Racing record

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
1990	Japanese Formula 3	Phoenix Racing Team With Plus B	3	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1991	Japanese Formula 3	Dallara Japan Racing	9	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1992	Japanese Formula 3	Super Nova Racing	11	0	0	0	0	5	10th
1993	Japanese Formula 3	Super Nova Racing	11	0	0	0	0	6	9th
1994	International Formula 3000	Super Nova Racing	8	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	Formula One	MTV Simtek Ford	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1995	Formula One	Footwork Hart	17	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1996	BPR Global GT Series	Konrad Motorsport	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1999	All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship	Club: Yellow Magic	4	0	0	0	0	3	32nd
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Complete International Formula 3000 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year	Entrant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	DC	Points
1994	Super Nova Racing	SIL Template:Small	PAU Template:Small	CAT Template:Small	PER Template:Small	HOC Template:Small	SPA Template:Small	EST Template:Small	MAG Template:Small	NC	0
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Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	WDC	Points
Template:F1	MTV Simtek Ford	Simtek S941	Ford V8	BRA	PAC	SMR	MON	ESP	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	EUR	JPN Template:Small	AUS		NC	0
Template:F1	Footwork Hart	Footwork FA16	Hart V8	BRA Template:Small	ARG Template:Small	SMR Template:Small	ESP Template:Small	MON Template:Small	CAN Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	HUN Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	POR Template:Small	EUR Template:Small	PAC Template:Small	JPN Template:Small	AUS Template:Small	NC	0
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Complete JGTC results

Year	Team	Car	Class	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	DC	Points
1999	Club: Yellow Magic	Ferrari F355 GT	GT300	SUZ	FUJ Template:Small	SUG Template:Small	MIN	FUJ Template:Small	TAI	MOT Template:Small	32nd	3
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External links

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