Japan’s Marino Sato scored three wins in the last four races alongside Oliver Jarvis and Phil Hanson to finish his debut ELMS season as LMP2 Vice Champion. The 24-year-old from Tokyo returns to the LMP2 grid with United Autosports and is looking to finish one place higher in 2024.
So how does Marino Sato you sum up his first season in the ELMS? “It was all or nothing, for sure,” Sato admitted. “The thing that I learned is definitely we need one or two points, at least, a weekend to bring back some points.”
“I definitely enjoyed driving with Phil and Olly, I think it was a great line up to be in for my very first year in the sports car series. Phil has put us in a good starting place for a few races.”
“Olly pulled out some great stints, particularly in the end for Portimao, it was great. Aragon was great as well! I was the one just doing the job in the background I’d say, I wasn’t doing anything flashy, but they did great to bring the whole team up there. So, I really enjoyed it!”
The LMP2 category has nearly doubled in size from last year, with a total of 21 entries, including 13 cars in the top class. So how different will the competition be this year compared to last season? “I would say it is the most competitive series on the globe this year with the line-up, including the number of cars on the grid this year, for sure has grown a lot. Every team has a very strong line-up, so it will be very tough.”
Sato will have two new teammates in the no22 Oreca-Gibson, Britain’s Ben Hanley and Romanian Filip Ugran. So how well does he know his new teammates? “I haven’t spoken in person with Filip yet, we’ve only had the chance to speak on the phone within our drivers chats,” Marino admitted. “I’ve only seen him once or twice at the same physio I was attending, that he also visited sometimes. So, I haven’t really had the chance to catch up with him yet, but I look forward to working with him.”
“Ben, I know him reasonably well now. He’s a nice guy to work with, he’s funny, he’s quick. So, there’s a lot more to come in our relationship.”
Marino Sato is also competing with United Autosports in the FIA WEC, but in LMGT3 in a McLaren 720S.So how different is that car compared to what you’ve raced before and how does it compare to the LMP2 Oreca? “Very different. It’s quite different because I haven’t really done a back-to-back between these cars, so it will be interesting to find that out. I’ll be in this car reasonably soon so I’m also looking forward to getting into LMP2 cars.”
“I would say the biggest difference in the cars is the weight of the car, it’s a little bit heavier than the GT3. The amount of downforce that we’re carrying in LMP2 and GT3 is also quite different.”
Looking at the 2024 calendar, what is Marino Sato’s thoughts on the new addition of Mugello? “I have raced there before and I love Italy, that’s for sure! I’m really looking forward to going back there, as there are some tricky corners that I like on track there.”
So what does Marino Sato do when his is not racing? “In my free time, I like to read Japanese comics, that’s probably the biggest thing I like to do. I also like listening to music, I listen to anything really, British rock, American rock, Japanese rock, J-pop, K-pop, anything. I’m quite varied on my music.”
