Takuma Sato comes clean on the horrific 94G impact during his crash in the Indy500 open test

Takuma Sato was one of the two drivers to have crashed at the Indy 500 open test, but his incident rendered a massive 94G impact, sending shockwaves throughout the paddock. Opening up on his dangerous impact with the wall, the Japanese driver thanked the advancement in the safety realm for saving him from potential injuries.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway takes drivers over 230mph average lap speeds with its oval layout. While it portrays the thrill of the elusive racing spectacle, it also poses a risk for drivers if they make a slight misjudgment.

Though RLL's Graham Rahal was able to get away with a slight contact on day 1 of the open test, the same luck did not transcend into Takuma Sato's garage. He lost the rear-end of the RLL IndyCar on his Day 2 run and slammed into the wall at the exit of turn 1, facing the wrong way.

This sent the g-force meters into a haywire as they rendered a massive 94G impact before the car slowly bled off the speed and came to a rest at turn two. Sharing his thoughts on the big crash, Sato wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

"Huge thanks to @IndyCar, @DallaraGroup, and @IMS for creating such a safe environment. Lost the rear at 233mph (375km/h). The data recorded a 94G impact. Just minor bruises and I’m OK. Really grateful to my crew, sorry for the extra work. We’ll come back stronger for the #Indy500."

The Japanese driver has won the Indy 500 two times in his career and is gunning for his third victory at the fabled event.

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Takuma Sato talks about his experience with the hybrid engines at the Indy 500

Takuma Sato at the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Takuma Sato's first two Indy 500 victories came with the blessing of raw engine power. However, the 48-year-old would have to adapt to a different engine formula requiring strategic play for his 16th entry at the race.

While the grid has been divided on the addition of the hybrid unit in the powertrain, Sato shared his stance, and said (via IndyCar):

"What I like is the hybrid. It's quite fun, actually. Regen and deploy is a totally new experience. You can feel the power. You can feel what's happening and that's good. The downside is obviously weight. You know, everybody's saying that it's more than 100 lbs on the back of the car. Just when you get the sensation of getting to the corner, the back of the car, it's just to keep rotating, which it's not a positive way for me. So we need to work onto the car." (1:47 onwards)

Despite the massive crash, Takuma Sato was able to land the second spot on the timing sheets at the end of Day 2 for open testing, showcasing his prowess behind the wheel.