Billions of Yen?

The 2011 Formula 1 Grand Prix, originally scheduled to open with the Bahrain GP, was postponed due to deteriorating conditions in the host country and finally commenced on March 25th. The opening race, the Australian GP (Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne), took on a strong hue of a support event for the earthquake-stricken regions of Japan.

Twenty minutes before the start of the final race, a moment of silence was observed for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the New Zealand earthquake, and the floods and cyclones in Australia. The Japanese flag was also flown at half-mast on the main pole of the circuit.

Furthermore, during the traditional pre-race group photo of the drivers at the opening round, a message board reading "Ganbarou, Japan WE PRAY FOR JAPAN" was displayed, and stickers supporting Japan were affixed to each car. The placement of these stickers varied by team, and while the value in terms of sponsorship fees would also vary, a simple calculation suggests that if each car carried ¥100 million in support, the total for 12 teams and 24 cars would amount to ¥2.4 billion.

Michael Schumacher of Mercedes GP wore a helmet with a Japanese flag sticker.

Ferrari

Support stickers were also placed on the drivers' helmets. Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber, who initiated the call to action, along with drivers like Schumacher, Vettel (who won this race), Button, and Trulli, all of whom have strong ties to Japan, conveyed a powerful message of support. Notably, the "Ganbarou, Japan" sticker and the Japanese flag on Michael Schumacher's red helmet are highly unusual, as such placements are typically reserved for sponsors contributing hundreds of millions of yen.

In essence, could it be said that the F1 world provided aid worth billions of yen to the disaster-stricken areas, separate from donations and contributions? Although Kamui Kobayashi, representing Japan, finished 8th in this race, he was unfortunately disqualified due to a vehicle regulation violation. He has pledged to continue his support for the affected regions.

Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing.

Takuma Sato, an IRL racer with KV Racing Technology - Lotus.

Sato Achieves Results

While news of support for the disaster-stricken areas from the F1 world dominated Japanese media, a remarkable achievement also took place in the IZOD IndyCar Series, a motorsports discipline far more popular in America than F1.

After a disappointing rookie year last season, Takuma Sato delivered results from the opening race. The venue for the first race was the temporary circuit in St. Petersburg, which hosted its inaugural event in 2005 as the first street circuit in the IndyCar Series. The course combines public roads along the waterfront of St. Petersburg, located on Florida's west coast, with a runway at the airport.

Sato, who launched the disaster support project "With you Japan" and pledged maximum support from the American motorsports community, displayed "Pray for Japan" on his car and helmet. In this race, which also took place on March 27th, the same day as the F1 season opener, he finished in a personal best of 5th place.

The fact that the pinnacle of European and American motorsports announced their support for Japan and took action on the same day must have provided courage not only to the victims but also to many Japanese people.