The Inspiring Tale of Ritomo Miyata

 

  Ritomo Miyata is a 24 year-old Japanese driver who's competing in the Formula 2 championship with Rodin Motorsports this year. 

  His road to Formula 2 is unlike many others who share the grid with him, as Ritomo has already proven more than enough that he has the abilities of a top level racing driver as shown by his amazing feat of winning both the Super Formula and Super GT world championships. Beating the likes of Kamui Kobayashi and rising star Liam Lawson.

 However, Ritomo did not have it easy. When he was young, he was diagnosed with autism and as a result of that, he struggled to adapt to normal schools like kindergarten and elementary school and was bullied by his schoolmates. Moreover, Miyata spent most of his childhood attending counselling at national children's hospitals.

 This all changed when his parents, who were motorsports fans, took him for a test drive at the Nakai Intercircuit where he met his trainer. His trainer had a calm mannerism when teaching Ritomo how to drive, and in a rare show for his condition, he was calm when listening and learning about driving.

  This meant that racing karts, or racing in general, served as a form of escapism for Miyata to distract him from his condition and its symptoms.

  After karting, Ritomo made his single-seater debut in 2015 at the age of 16 where he would compete in the Japanese Formula 4 Championship. It would be an important season of learning, with Miyata finishing in the top ten three times out of the six races he competed in which showed he had the talent to do well in single-seater cars.

  In 2016, his first full season in single-seaters, Miyata would win the championship. Beating Honda-backed Ukyo Sasahara by four points. He would repeat this feat by winning for the second year running in 2017, and beat the likes of Yuki Tsunoda by 58 points.

  2018 would bring a new type of racing for Miyata, GT racing. It would be an alright season, with Miyata attaining his first podium at the Chang International Circuit. A first win would not come until his second season in 2019 at the Autopolis.

  2023 was Miyata's biggest year of his career. In both Super Formula and Super GT, he would win both championships in the same year. This meant that Miyata has the talent and abilities to be successful at single-seater Formula cars, as well as closed cockpit endurance racing which holds a bright future for the Japanese driver.

  All in all, Ritomo Miyata's story is one to inspire many. Showing that in spite of your imperfections or disorders, if you follow your passions and put in the hard work, you can still make it in life at a top level but only if you work hard enough.

  The future holds alot for Miyata. With F2 being the closest step to F1, it wouldn't be a surprise if we see him on the grid in the next few years.