Aimi Saito
| Aimi Saito | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Japanese |
| Born | 18 August 1994 Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Championship titles | |
| 2024 | Kyojo Cup |
Aimi Saito (斎藤 愛未, Saito Aimi; born 18 August 1994) is a Japanese racing driver competing in Kyojo Cup for SCS Team TOM'S.
Personal life
Saito is the wife of 2024 Super Formula champion Sho Tsuboi.[1][2]
Career
Saito began karting in 1999, competing until 2021.[3] During her karting career, Saito most notably won the 2017 Toyopet SL Kart Meeting in the Ladies class,[4] as well as finishing runner-up in the 2019 APG Winter Cup and third in the 2018 RMC APG Series, both in Senior Max.[5][6] In 2020, Saito made her car racing debut,[7] competing for the majority of the Kyojo Cup calendar as a privateer, taking a best result of fourth on debut and ended the season tenth in points.[8]
Joining RaiseUPmotorsport for the 2021 season, Saito scored her maiden podiums at Suzuka and the second Fuji race en route to a fifth-place points finish.[9][10] Saito then returned as a privateer in 2022, began the year with a third-place finish at the second Fuji race,[11] before ending the year with a second-place finish at the finale to clinch third in overall points.[12] Joining Ai Miura's Team M for her fourth season in the series, Saito finished no lower than fourth across the four-race season to take third in points, with a best result of third in the season finale.[13]
Remaining with Team M for 2024, Saito finished second to Miki Onaga in the season-opener,[14] before taking her maiden series wins in the Super Formula-supported round two to take the points lead.[15] Following that, Saito took two wins in the final three races to secure her first Kyojo Cup title.[16][17] In 2025, Saito joined series newcomers TOM'S for the series' first season of the Kyojo Formula era.[18] After finishing no higher than seventh in the season-opening round,[19] Saito took her only win of the season in round two's sprint race,[20] and four other podiums to end the year third overall.[21] During 2025, Saito also competed for Rn-sports in the F110 Cup,[22] as well as winning the Fuji 24 Hours in ST-Q for TOYOTA GAZOO ROOKIE Racing.[23][24]
At the start of 2026, Saito raced at the Dubai 24 Hour for Rookie Racing in the TCX class alongside Onaga, Rio Shimono, Kokoro Sato and Rami Sasaki.[25] For the rest of the year, Saito returned to TOM'S for her seventh campaign in Kyojo Cup.[26]
Karting record
Karting career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Nakai Inter Circuit Kids Kart Festa – Normal 30 | ||
| 2002 | APG Challenge Cup – TRY | ||
| Oi Matsuda Kart Series – TRY | |||
| 2003 | APG Challenge Cup – TRY | ||
| Oi Matsuda Kart Series – TRY | |||
| 2004 | East Japan Junior Championship – JII | ||
| Oi Matsuda Kart Series – JII | |||
| SL National Championship – Cadet | 5th | ||
| 2005 | Oi Matsuda Kart Series – TIA-Jr | ||
| SL National Championship – TIA-Jr | |||
| 2006 | All-Japan Karting Championship – Junior | ||
| Oi Matsuda Kart Series – Yamaha-Jr | |||
| Shin Tokyo Circuit NTCCUP – S | |||
| SL National Championship – Yamaha-Jr | |||
| 2007 | New Tokyo Circuit NTCCUP – FA-B | ||
| 2010 | New Tokyo Circuit NTCCUP – SS | ||
| APG Challenge Cup – SS | |||
| 2011 | New Tokyo Circuit NTCCUP – SS | ||
| 2012 | New Tokyo Circuit NTCCUP – SS | ||
| 2013 | New Tokyo Circuit NTCCUP – SS | ||
| 2014 | New Tokyo Circuit NTCCUP – SS | ||
| 2016 | New Tokyo Circuit NTCCUP – SS | ||
| Motegi Kart Race – SS | |||
| 2017 | APG Winter Cup – Senior Max | 4th | |
| Toyopet SL Kart Meeting – Ladies | Super License | 1st | |
| 2018 | RMC APG Series – Senior Max | 3rd | |
| JAF Regional Kart Championship – FS-125 | |||
| RMC Japan Festival – Senior Max | Zi-ViVre RT | 7th | |
| 2019 | APG Winter Cup – Senior Max | Zi-ViVre RT | 2nd |
| RMC APG Series – Senior Max | |||
| RMC Mizunami Series – Senior Max | Zi-ViVre RT | 12th | |
| 2020 | All-Japan Junior Karting Championship – FS-125 | Zi-ViVre RT | 34th |
| Junior Kart West Region Championship – FS-125 | 16th | ||
| 2021 | All-Japan Karting Championship – OK | Rosa Drago Corse | 30th |
| Sources:[3][27][28] | |||
Racing record
Racing career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Kyojo Cup | Aimi Saito | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10th |
| 2021 | Kyojo Cup | RaiseUPmotorsport | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 5th |
| 2022 | Kyojo Cup | Aimi Saito | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 56 | 3rd |
| 2023 | Kyojo Cup | Team M | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 3rd |
| 2024 | Kyojo Cup | Team M | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 115.5 | 1st |
| 2025 | F110 Cup | Rn-sports | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 16th |
| Kyojo Cup | BigBoss W Team TOM'S | 10 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 74 | 3rd | |
| Super Taikyu – ST-Q | TOYOTA GAZOO ROOKIE Racing | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0‡ | NC‡ | |
| 2025–26 | 24H Series Middle East – TCX | Toyota Gazoo Rookie Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 54 | NC |
| 2026 | Kyojo Cup | SCS Team TOM'S | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16* | 3rd* |
| Sources:[29] | |||||||||
Complete Kyojo Cup results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Privateer | FUJ1 4 |
SUZ |
FUJ2 8 |
FUJ3 Ret |
10th | 10 | ||||||
| 2021 | RaiseUPmotorsport | FUJ1 9 |
SUZ 3 |
FUJ2 3 |
FUJ3 8 |
5th | 27 | ||||||
| 2022 | Privateer | FUJ1 4 |
FUJ2 3 |
FUJ3 4 |
FUJ4 2 |
3rd | 56 | ||||||
| 2023 | Team M | FUJ1 4 |
FUJ2 4 |
FUJ3 5 |
FUJ4 3 |
3rd | 46 | ||||||
| 2024 | Team M | FUJ1 2 |
FUJ2 1 1 |
FUJ2 2 1 |
FUJ3 1 |
FUJ4 12 |
NC 1 |
NC 2 |
FUJ5 1 |
1st | 115.5 | ||
| 2025 | BigBoss W Team TOM'S | FUJ1 SPR 14 |
FUJ1 FIN 7 |
FUJ2 SPR 11 |
FUJ2 FIN 2 |
FUJ3 SPR 191 |
FUJ3 FIN 10 |
FUJ4 SPR 5 |
FUJ4 FIN 2 |
FUJ5 SPR 32 |
FUJ5 FIN 3 |
3rd | 74 |
| 2026 | SCS Team TOM'S | FUJ1 SPR 53 |
FUJ1 FIN 3 |
FUJ2 SPR |
FUJ2 FIN |
FUJ3 SPR |
FUJ3 FIN |
FUJ4 SPR |
FUJ4 FIN |
FUJ5 SPR |
FUJ5 FIN |
3rd* | 16* |
References
- ↑ "坪井翔&斎藤愛未が共演！最速夫婦と辿る2025年モータースポーツ名場面". toyotatimes-sports.toyota (in Japanese). 3 December 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ Donlic, Ramiza (5 February 2025). "Woman Spotlight Wednesday: Aimi Saito". dive-bomb.com. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- 1 2 "斎藤 愛未 AIMI SAITO". drivingathlete.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 July 2026.
- ↑ "2017 第41回 TOYOPET SLカートミーティング全国大会". slo.or.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 July 2026.
- ↑ "２０１８ APG 第１戦 Senior MAX ３/１１". eikoms.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "２０１９ APG Winter Cup Senior MAX １/１３". eikoms.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "母の勘違いが人生と旦那を決めちゃった!? 自身のルーツと女性ドライバーとしての課題【KYOJP CUPインタビューvol.2／斎藤愛未】". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 27 August 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ "KYOJO CUP 2020年第1戦 レースレポート". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 7 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ Garcia, Àlex (27 July 2021). "Sena Sakaguchi se impone en las dos carreras de la Inter Proto en Suzuka". diariomotor.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "KYOJO CUP 2021第3戦富士 レースレポート". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 27 September 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "第2戦富士 混戦を抜け出した翁長実希が開幕2連勝をマーク". fmotor.jp (in Japanese). 24 October 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "第4戦富士 最終戦は猪爪杏奈が逆転で今季初勝利、翁長実希が悲願のチャンピオンに輝く". fmotor.jp (in Japanese). 13 December 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ Hirano, Ryuji (26 November 2023). "KYOJO CUP第4戦は翁長実希が制すも、2位の三浦愛が自身二度目のチャンピオンを獲得". motorsport.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "2024年KYOJO CUP開幕戦は最終ラップまで一進一退の攻防。翁長実希が逆転優勝を飾る". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 14 May 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "3台が入れ替わるトップ争い。斎藤愛未が逆転で悲願の初優勝＆夫の坪井翔が嬉し涙【KYOJO CUP第2戦】". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 20 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "誕生日に決めた！！斎藤3連勝 KYOJOカップ". chunichi.co.jp (in Japanese). 19 August 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "斎藤愛未が初女王、国内最高峰2冠の坪井翔と最強＆最速夫婦だ！！". chunichi.co.jp (in Japanese). 23 December 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ Intan, Maiya (9 May 2025). "Kyojo Cup: 2025 season guide". feederseries.net. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "「"好き"だけではやっていけない。女性ドライバーもプロとして稼げる世界に」KYOJOチャンピオン斎藤愛未が目指す将来像". motorsport.com (in Japanese). 14 May 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ "昨季王者の斎藤愛未、今季初勝利「あしたもあるので…あまり喜んではいられません」開幕2連勝の下野璃央は3位【KYOJO CUP第2戦スプリント】". chunichi.co.jp (in Japanese). 19 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "チャンピオンの下野璃央がKYOJO CUP第5戦も独走。2レースを制して2025年シーズンを締めくくる". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 12 November 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "第4戦岡山レース7決勝結果". fmotor.jp (in Japanese). 30 August 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "２組の夫婦がドライバーで参戦！ Ｓ耐富士24時間レースならではの胸熱エピソード (1/2ページ)". webcartop.jp (in Japanese). 9 June 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ O'Connell, RJ (4 June 2025). "TKRI Mercedes Prevails To Win Fuji 24(-Ish) Hours". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "杜拜24小時賽公佈參賽名單 包括全香港車手陣容". lightsout.cc (in Chinese). 2 January 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ Bremner, Anabelle (7 May 2025). "Kyojo Cup: 2026 season guide". feederseries.net. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "2020 全日本カート選手権 FS-125クラス 東西統一" (PDF). kart.jp. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ "2021 全日本カート選手権 OKクラス" (PDF). kart.jp. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ "Aimi Saito | Racing career profile | Driver Database". www.driverdb.com. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
External links
- Aimi Saito career summary at DriverDB.com