Hideki Noda


Hideki Noda is a Japanese professional racing driver. He participated in three Formula One Grands Prix, debuting in the 1994 European Grand Prix, but did not score any championship points. He replaced Yannick Dalmas in the Larrousse car for the last three Grands Prix of the season, but failed to finish in any of the three races. In 1995, he joined Simtek as a test driver, hoping to get some races in. However, the Kobe earthquake and the folding of the Simtek team ended his brief Formula 1 career.
A year later, Noda went to America and raced in the Indy Lights and became the only Japanese driver to win a CART-sanctioned event. After a few years in America, Noda moved back to Japan, where he drove a Team Cerumo Toyota Supra with Hironori Takeuchi. In the annual non-championship All-Star event at Aida, Noda and Takeuchi were forced out with mechanical problems. In 1999, he joined the Esso Tiger Team Le Mans under Koichiro Mori, again to drive a Toyota Supra, ex-Australian V8 Supercar driver Wayne Gardner. The highlight of their season was a win at Fuji. With 33 points, they were equal seventeenth in the series.
In 2002, Noda returned to the United States and drove in six Indy Racing League IndyCar Series races for Convergent Racing and Indy Regency Racing with a best finish of tenth at Phoenix International Raceway while with Convergent. He also competed in a round of the inaugural A1 Grand Prix season with Japan at Lausitz, where he scored three points for the Japanese team.

Career

Formula One (1994-1995)

Noda replaced French driver Yannick Dalmas at Larrousse towards the end of the 1994 Formula [One World Championship|1994 season] at the European Grand Prix in Jerez. After qualifying 24th behind his teammate Érik Comas, he retired due to gearbox failure. At his home race in Japan, Noda was 23rd on the grid but retired again due, this time due to an electrical fault. His last Grand Prix saw him 23rd on the grid at Adelaide, this time out qualifying his new teammate Jean-Denis Délétraz. Noda again retired, this time due to an oil leak.
In 1995, Noda was due to drive for Simtek in Canada, but the team withdrew from F1 before he could. In his last attempt to drive in F1, he was denied his super license, preventing him from driving for Forti at the TI Circuit for the Pacific Grand Prix.

A1 Grand Prix (2005–2009)

In 2005, Noda was announced as the second driver for the Japan entry for the 2005-06 A1 Grand Prix season, second to Ryo Fukuda. His first race for the team came at the 2005-06 A1 [Grand Prix of Nations, Germany|second round] at Lausitz, where he qualified in 21st place. In sprint race, Noda managed to move up eleven places to finish tenth and score one point for Japan. The feature race saw Noda finish one place higher in ninth place, scoring a further two points for the Japanese A1 GP team. Japan finished 21st at the end of the season, with eight points.

Personal life

Noda's daughter Juju is also a racing driver, who competed in the W Series.

Racing record

Complete Japanese Formula 3 Championship results

YearTeamEngine12345678910DCPts
1988JAX Racing Team with TOM'SToyotaSUZ
Ret		TSU
3		FUJ
Ret		SUZ
9		SUG
DNS		TSU
17		SEN
9		[Suzuka International Racing Course|]
DSQ		NIS
8		SUZ10th4

Complete British Formula Three Championship results

YearTeamEngineClass1234567891011121314151617DCPts
1990 [British Formula Three Championship|1990]Alan Docking RacingMugenADON
7		SIL
6		THR
Ret		BRH
DNS		SIL
6		BRH
9		THR
11		SIL
16		DON
Ret		SIL
Ret		SNE
Ret		OUL
6		SIL
5		BRH
11		DON
4		THR
10		SIL
Ret		12th8
1991 British [Formula Three Championship|1991]Alan Docking RacingMugenASIL
2		THR
4		DON
Ret		BRH
10		BRH
5		THR
4		SIL
4		DON
7		SIL
4		SIL
5		SNE
12		SIL
1		BRH
7		DON
7		SIL
5		THR
4		7th36

Complete Formula One results

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678910111213141516WDCPoints
1994Tourtel Larrousse F1Larrousse LH94Ford V8BRAPACSMRMONESPCANFRAGBRGERHUNBELITAPOREUR
Ret		JPN
Ret		AUS
Ret		NC0

24 Hours of Le Mans results