Takuma Sato got behind the wheel of a historic Williams car.

      Takuma Sato ended his Formula 1 career back in 2008, but afterwards raced overseas and achieved considerable success — it’s enough to say that the 48-year-old Japanese driver is a two-time winner of the Indy 500.

      He still competes, but this weekend at the traditional August motorsport celebration Monterey Reunion in California he climbed into the historic Williams FW11 with the mighty Honda turbo engine that helped Frank Williams’ team win the Constructors’ Championship in 1986.

      Nigel Mansell was the runner-up then, and a few weeks ago he drove this very car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. And now Williams Heritage, which recently completed a meticulous restoration of the FW11, has brought it to Monterey.

      “When we’re just warming the engine up in the garage, people already feel this incredible energy,” Sato told Racer. “And the same is felt by the driver in the cockpit. When I go out on track and press the throttle, at first nothing happens, but then the turbo kicks in, and it feels like some kind of explosion!

      It’s just unbelievable! The engine and the six-speed manual gearbox are in excellent condition, and behind the wheel of the FW11 I start to feel like I’m being transported back to the 1980s — of course, back then I didn’t have the chance to drive cars like this.

      Fortunately, I’ve been lucky, and now I occasionally get behind the wheel of racing machinery from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, but this car is definitely one of the best. You simply can’t imagine how powerful it is!... Even when I shift into sixth gear it still keeps accelerating!... I can say that driving this car I was laughing with joy the whole time!”