Tadasuke Makino
A hard-charging Honda protege who conquered Japan's premier GT racing series, balancing Super Formula speed with Super GT championship steel.
Born 1997 (age 29)·Japanese racing driver·Birthday: June 28·Generation Z
Biography
Tadasuke Makino's path was mapped by Honda's racing brass from an early age, identified as a talent to carry their flag in single-seaters and sports cars. His early career followed a classic Japanese driver arc: success in domestic Formula 3, then a European foray into the GP3 Series and FIA Formula 2, where he secured a feature race win in Monaco—a coveted prize that confirmed his raw speed. Honda's call brought him home to spearhead their efforts in Japan's fiercely competitive top tiers. Piloting the iconic Raybrig NSX-GT for Team Kunimitsu in Super GT, Makino evolved from a quick junior into a consistent champion. Partnered with veteran Naoki Yamamoto, he claimed the GT500 crown in 2020, mastering the discipline's unique weight handicaps and tire management battles. Simultaneously, he became a front-runner in Super Formula, Japan's apex single-seater series. Makino embodies the modern Japanese racing driver: versatile, tactically astute, and capable of winning in dramatically different machines on the same weekend.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Tadasuke was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tadasuke Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Tadasuke's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Super GT GT500 class championship in 2020, driving for Team Kunimitsu alongside Naoki Yamamoto.
- Secured a feature race victory in the FIA Formula 2 Championship at Monaco in 2018.
- Has stood on the podium multiple times in the Super Formula Championship, Japan's top open-wheel series.
- Competed in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of Honda's endurance racing program.
Did You Know?
His first name, Tadasuke, means "to help" or "to save" in Japanese.
He won the prestigious Monaco F2 feature race from pole position in 2018.
He is a longtime Honda factory driver, part of their exclusive roster of supported competitors.
In his early karting days, he used the number 96, which he sometimes reverts to in senior racing.
“My goal is to win races and championships for Honda.”
