OCTOBER 13, 1997

Katayama quits F1

UKYO KATAYAMA has announced that he is to retire from Formula One racing at the end of this season.

UKYO KATAYAMA has announced that he is to retire from Formula One racing at the end of this season. The 34-year-old ends a six-year career in F1 which has seen him driving for Larrousse, Tyrrell and Minardi. Katayama was the third Japanese driver to get a full time F1 seat, following in the footsteps of Satoru Nakajima and Aguri Suzuki. Katayama intends to spend a few months on holiday and will then attempt to fulfill a personal ambition and climb Mount Everest. It is expected that Katayama will return to racing in 1999 as an Indycar driver with Toyota.