Mako Sato

Mako Sato (佐藤 真子 Satō Mako, known as Maya in the Tokyopop version) is the driver of the Usui combination, a combination similar to that found in the WRC, and one of Takumi Fujiwara's opponents before he joins Project D. She drives a Nissan SilEighty, and was known as the fastest on Usui pass alongside Sayuki, her navigator, before she becomes a professional racer at the end of Final Stage.

Biography
Mako Sato is known as the fastest driver on Usui pass alongside Sayuki, her navigator, in First Stage. Very little is known about her past life, but she has a soft spot for cars and men who like cars. She becomes one of Takumi Fujiwara's opponents in First Stage before he joins Project D. The race ends after Mako enters a corner too quickly, and spins out, almost causing an accident between the two cars.

Mako became interested in Iketani of the Akina SpeedStars. She originally got close to him in order to race Takumi's Eight-Six in Usui, offering her virginity in exchange. But she and Iketani developed true feelings to each other later on in the series. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding kept them apart.

Mako also attends Takumi's final race against Shinji Inui of Sidewinder with Sayuki, engaging in conversation with Shinji Inui during the hillclimb race between Keisuke Takahashi and Go Hojo, not knowing that he is Takumi's opponent for the downhill until he reveals that he is.