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SGT09 Feature: Up close and personal with PETRONAS TOM'S Juichi Wakisaka

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LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM'S
2009 Super GT Series
Driver Feature

One-on-One with Juichi Wakisaka: "I want to find a place for myself"

The second half of a successful driver partnership in the LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM’S, Japanese driver Juichi Wakisaka is also the elder half of the duo. In spite of this, his youthful exuberance belies the fact he enjoys a successful racing career that spans almost two decades. Though not an uncommon route that includes the standard progression from go-karts to single seater formula cars and Formula One, it is Juichi Wakisaka’s personal journey to where he is today that clearly differentiates the man from Nara in the Kansai region from his fellow peers.

Opinionated, fiercely competitive, passionate about his vocation and staying true to himself, Juichi is always full of surprises. As the landscape of Japanese and even Asian motorsports evolves, Juichi has carved a unique place that is entirely his own. After emerging tops amongst the Lexus teams during the team's recent outing at Sepang in June, we caught up with Juichi for a chat.

PETRONAS Motorsports: The 2009 is already in full swing but let's reflect back at what was for you a successful 2008 season with the team taking home the team championship title. What are your thoughts about last season and what we can expect for the 2009 season.

Juichi Wakisaka: "I think the 2008 season was almost perfect. To come away with the team championship was unexpected because from the start we knew it was going to be very difficult because of the changes in the regulations. In fact, it gets more difficult every year as the competition gets tougher. So, we knew it would be a challenging year for us and perhaps more favourable for the (Nissan) GTR's. It got more challenging towards the end of the season but with the strong driver combination and the strength of the team we managed to come away with a good outcome get the team championship."

PM: What in your opinion is the team's most distinctive characteristic?

JW: "I think it is a combination of the team's long motorsports heritage and track record. It's also down to the good working relationship I have with my teammate Andrè Lotterer which to some extent contributes. Moreover, it also comes down to our team’s strong record of consistency."

PM: What about the biggest challenge?

JW: "I think fighting to get the championship last year. It seemed like quite impossible but we kept fighting. I think there must have been a "god" of motorsports that helped us last year! [laughs]"

PM: People often associate you as the joker and quite opinionated. Juichi, is this what makes you different from other drivers?

JW: "For me, I want to maintain my own unique character, because I think as motorsports becomes more and more exciting and challenging with every year, I want to make sure I can somehow find a place for myself. Seriously, I also think that if I stand out with my own personal style, this might influence the world of motorsports in Japan, which I can do also through my driving for example. Because of the publicity of the sport, I also get the opportunity to do a lot of interviews in magazines and on television, which is my way of trying to make a change."

PM: The GT carnival comes once a year to Sepang for it's international round. For the drivers, it also means having to deal with the intense heat of Sepang. How did you cope with the heat and what does your fitness regime include?

JW: "To be honest, the heat is not really a problem for me, because some of the rounds in Japan run in the summer and it gets a bit hotter than in Sepang. For me, what makes the Sepang round more unique is that it is for me about experiencing a different country, cultures and food. When it comes to dealing with the heat, a lot of athletes practice water logging that is drinking a little bit of water many times during the day. In a day, I can go through about 2 litres of water. This allows me to retain water in my system and much better than drinking a lot in one shot. Fitness-wise, I was not much into working out because going to the gym was not something that I considered fun! Now that I am getting older, I have to start to train a bit harder, so that I can keep my fitness levels up!"

PM: Juichi, now tell us a little bit more about yourself. How did it all begin for you, how did you start racing?

JW: "Compared to the drivers these days, I started karting a bit late at the age of 19 in 1990. At the time, there was a go-kart driver named Ryo Michigami [who is now racing Hondas in the Super GT] and I saw him in a go-kart race and I thought it was very cool! He had lost his position at the start and had to start from the back but somehow managed to win that race. I thought "wow!" and if he can do it, so no problem for me! And that is how I started my racing career. Growing up, I always had this way of thinking. When I was younger, I was always quite good in all kinds of sports. So whenever I saw that my friends could play a certain sport well, in my mind I believed that I could do it as well.

"When I really started racing go-karts, I was actually very surprised with the feeling of the speed. That feeling made me change my focus to be more serious about it. Initially, I did not think about wanting to do it professionally or anything. It was all about that feeling, wanting to drive that kart faster than anybody else. I was fast and everyone around me told me that I was good, and I believed them. From then on, I made my way up, going to F3, Formula Nippon and a Formula One test with the Jordan F1 team and now GT."

PM: You mentioned that you did not really think about racing professionally seriously at first, was there a defining moment in your career that changed that?

JW: "Yes, it's true I did not really think about that progression at first. But in 1998, Mr. Aguri Suzuki contracted me as a professional driver and he paid me a driving fee. That was my very first professional driving fee and that has to be the most defining moment for me. That also opened up my professional racing career. Until that point, I actually did not really think about, but just focused on enjoying the driving. Whatever income I had was made from the prize money I earned from the races."

PM: What has been the biggest sacrifice for you being a race car driver?

JW: "Once you become a professional race car driver, there are boundaries. Probably the sacrifice in that sense is losing the joy of driving a car that you personally like. For instance, if someone were to offer me the opportunity to drive a car that I might like, I might not be able to accept due to contractual obligations. The other and probably bigger sacrifice has to be being away from my family, but I have to say they have been incredibly supportive."

PM: Now that you have the years and experience behind you, what are your thoughts about what it takes to be a successful racing car driver?

JW: "I think it is important to have a complete package. I think it comes down to having all the necessary and right ingredients - from the people, machine, environment as well as the timing in addition to possessing the driving skills. For example, in this TOM'S team, we have that best mix of ingredients, the best people, a good car, the right environment and this is why in the first year I joined this team, we were able to get the championship."

PM: What do you do when you are not racing?

JW: "When I am not racing, I spend a lot of time on a golf course, which is my other main passion! So much so that even my manager only ever sets my schedules after 5pm, so that I can play golf! My tan does not even come from racing but from spending my time on the golf course! I am quite serious about it that some golf magazines in Japan come to speak to me about golf and not motorsports."

PM: Aside from being quite serious about golf, you are also very active in being a role model for young people, correct?

JW: "Yes. Whenever I know that there are young people watching what we do in racing, I take that responsibility being a role model quite seriously. Having children of my own and being around children makes me think, and I am really glad that there is a new generation of young kids coming through into motorsports. This we see with more and more parents taking their children to the race track.

"My dream is to be able to see a motorsports culture in Japan similar to what we can find in Europe. To that extent, I feel that I have that responsibility to play that role to help accelerate and cultivate this. I hope through what I do as a race car driver I can lead and aspire the younger generation through my own efforts and achievements."

PM: In Asia, there is also a similar up-trend towards younger drivers coming up through the ranks to try and achieve their racing dreams. What would your advise be to these young drivers?

JW: "I would start by first saying to them: first ask yourselves 'how much do you want to win? How much you do not want to lose?' From there you will know where your limits are, how strong your passion and desire is in motorsports. Then they will somehow find a way to reach that goal.

"But I also believe in Japan, this might not be enough, that you also need something extra to be able to step up. So these young drivers will have to find that little bit extra and find it in themselves to try to push your limits to find that little something special. Actually, if you look at the other professional sportsmen and women, to everyone else it looks like they are just playing a sport that looks simple, but what you don't see is the people behind the scenes.

"In Japan, the motorsports environment is not as matured as in Europe, so young drivers will have to learn to find the best suitable environment to nurture their careers. It is not that easy to get that message across in a market like Japan, so this is where my role becomes quite influential and important in my opinion.

"I do not really enjoy being in front of the camera and doing interviews. I would rather be behind the scenes. But, I also know and am conscious that I can use the fact that the sport gets that much exposure to be able to reach out to these kids through my racing career. I have my own personality and I can use that opportunity to push that message across. I already do this as I also belong to a talent agency, appearing in many print interviews and TV shows to help promote a motorsports culture in Japan that will give these kids the right environment for them to pursue their dreams."