is a retired Japanese racing driver; the son of

Satoru Nakajima is a Japanese former racing driver. He is a five-time Japanese Top Formula champion, and was the first full-time Japanese Formula One driver. Accordingly, he is responsible for several firsts for Japanese drivers in Formula One, including bei ...

and the younger brother of

Kazuki Nakajima is a retired Japanese professional racing driver who drove in Formula One for the Williams-Toyota team from to . In 2012 and 2014, he won the Super Formula Championship driving for TOM'S. Racing for Toyota Gazoo Racing, he won the 2018, 2019 a ...

, both of whom have driven in

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

Career

Having started his career in go-karts on the Japanese circuit, Nakajima moved into single-seaters in 2007, competing in the Japanese Formula Challenge series. He finished fifth overall in the championship with four wins, which was won by 2008

Macau Grand Prix The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of onl ...

winner

Keisuke Kunimoto is a Japanese/Zainichi Korean race car driver who races with Japanese racing license. His mother is Japanese. His father, Yoshihiro Ri, also known as Yoshihiro Kunimoto, is the 1983 All Japan Karting Champion and his uncle, Yoshihiko Ri, won s ...

. He graduated into

All-Japan Formula Three was a national motor racing championship that takes place in Japan. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. As a result of Formula 3 naming regulations by the FIA, on 13 August 2019, series p ...

in 2008, with Toda Racing, finishing ninth overall. Having tested with Räikkönen Robertson Racing over the 2008 offseason, Nakajima joined them for a 2009 campaign in the

British Formula 3 Championship The British Formula Three Championship was an international motor racing series that took place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It was a junior-level feeder formula that used small single seat ...

. Nakajima finished seventh in the championship standings, with his best result of second coming at Silverstone in August, having started from pole position. He remained with the team for the 2010 season, but failed to improve on his rookie form and returned to Japan for 2011, competing in

Formula Nippon The Japanese Super Formula Championship is a formula racing series. It is considered as being the top level of single-seater racing in Japan and regional motorsports in Asia. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and ...

with his father's team. Nakajima retired from racing at the end of the

2019 Super GT Series The 2019 Super GT Series was a motor racing championship based in Japan for grand touring cars. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and run by the GT Association (GTA). It was the twenty-seventh season of the Japan ...

and has since maintained a low profile.

Racing record

Career summary

Complete Formula Nippon/Super Formula results

( key)

Complete Super GT results

^‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.

References

External links

Career statistics from Driver Database

Nakajima's profile on the official British F3 website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nakajima, Daisuke 1989 births Japanese racing drivers Living people British Formula Three Championship drivers Japanese Formula 3 Championship drivers Formula Nippon drivers People from Okazaki, Aichi Super Formula drivers Formula Challenge Japan drivers Mugen Motorsports drivers Double R Racing drivers Nakajima Racing drivers