Race Overview

One month after the previous race was canceled due to bad weather, we head to Suzuka

About a month had passed since the previous race, when the final race was canceled due to bad weather. With a strong determination to “show the fans a great race this time,” KCMG headed to Suzuka. In recent years, Super Formula has not been held at Suzuka in May, and with both the season and track conditions different from those during the official test at the end of February, it turned out to be an extremely challenging race.

For this race, the team decided to retain Seita Nonaka as the driver of Car No. 9 after comprehensively evaluating his performance up to the previous race, his teamwork, the limited preparation time, and the characteristics of the Suzuka Circuit. Although the team aimed for a top finish with an unchanged driver lineup, they were thrown off course by the early summer heat and shifting weather conditions, making these two consecutive races a major challenge for the team.

Round 4 — Qualifying

Round 4: Qualifying / Cloudy, 20°C, Dry

Since this event consists of two races, two 60-minute exclusive practice sessions were scheduled for Friday, and the team was energetically working through their test program to fine-tune the car for the unknown conditions at “Suzuka in May.” However, during the afternoon session, Nonaka spun out while entering Turn 1 and crashed, hitting the tire barrier with the rear of the car.The mechanics immediately set to work on repairs, and Nonaka was able to take part in the group practice session following the exclusive practice sessions.

Saturday brought a sharp contrast to the muggy heat of the previous day, with a chilly, overcast sky. At 9:15 a.m., with an air temperature of 20 degrees and a track temperature of 22 degrees, and a strong headwind blowing down the main straight, Q1 Group A qualifying got underway. #8 Kenta Yamashita switched to new tires and began his attack lap on his third timed lap, but struggled with a ride height that was not quite right and was eliminated from Q1 in 8th place (1’38.565).

After a 5-minute break, Group B got underway at 9:30 a.m. #9 Seita Nonaka also switched to new tires and went on an attack lap on his second timed lap, but his time didn’t improve as much as he’d hoped, and he finished in 9th place (1’38.899). For Round 4, Yamashita will start from 15th on the grid and Nonaka from 18th.

Round 4 — Race

Round 4: Final / Cloudy with occasional rain, temperature 20 degrees, dry → wet

The race began at 2:45 p.m. under conditions of 20 degrees Celsius air temperature and 24 degrees Celsius track temperature. Yamashita, who started in 15th place, moved up two positions at the start but was subsequently passed by two cars, finishing the opening lap in 15th place. Meanwhile, Nonaka, who started in 18th place, allowed three cars to pass him and finished the opening lap in 20th place.

Yamashita, who was running in 15th place, was passed by three cars by the third lap, but he made two spectacular overtakes—passing #36 Tsuboi at Turn 1 on Lap 4 and #4 Sasahara at the chicane on Lap 5—using the OTS (Overtaking System). He moved up to 16th place.When the tire change window opened at the end of Lap 8, the team called Yamashita into the pits at the very last possible moment; however, he lost a fraction of a lap upon returning to the track and rejoined in 21st place. Later, on Lap 13, Yamashita detected an issue with the car and made an emergency second pit stop at the end of Lap 14. It was discovered that there was a hole in the floor; the team determined that continuing the race was impossible, resulting in a disappointing retirement.

Nonaka, running in 20th place, also put up a spirited fight, overtaking #97 Stannack at Turn 130 on the second lap and Sasahara on the back straight on the ninth lap. Having opted for a stay-out strategy—and aided by other cars’ pit stop timings—Nonaka had climbed as high as 12th place.However, as he approached Turn 130R on Lap 18, he suddenly lost control and spun out, crashing head-on into the outer foam barrier with the front of his car. The cause is currently under investigation, but it appears to have been caused by the rear wing detaching due to some unknown factor. It was immediately confirmed via radio that Nonaka was unharmed, and a thorough examination conducted that same day confirmed that there were no abnormalities regarding the pain in his left leg.

As a result, both cars retired from Round 4, marking an extremely disappointing outcome for the team.

Round 5 — Qualifying

Round 5: Qualifying / Cloudy, 24°C, Dry

On Sunday, the team headed into Round 5 determined to put the frustration of the previous day’s double retirement behind them. In particular, repairs on Car No. 9—which had suffered a major crash—continued until 1:30 a.m. thanks to the mechanics’ tireless efforts, and the car was successfully readied in time for qualifying.

At 10:25 a.m., with an air temperature of 24 degrees and a track temperature of 33 degrees, and a light headwind blowing, Q1 Group A qualifying began. Yamashita launched his attack on his third timed lap. Although his car felt slightly better than the previous day, he still hadn’t been able to fine-tune the setup, and he finished in 7th place (1’38.270)—just 0.006 seconds short of the cut-off time for Q2 —and was eliminated in Q1.

In Group B, the car’s handling had changed as a result of working through the night to repair it, making it difficult to adjust during the qualifying session—which served as their first run on the track—and Nonaka posted the 11th-fastest time (1’39.292). However, he was later penalized for running off the track, resulting in his best time being disqualified; his second-fastest time of 1’47.491 was ultimately recorded.On the starting grid for Round 5, Yamashita qualified 14th and Nonaka 23rd.

Round 5 — Race

Race 5: Final / Sunny, 25°C, Dry

At 2:45 p.m., with an air temperature of 25 degrees and a track temperature of 40 degrees, the race got underway under a crisp, sunny May sky. Yamashita, starting in 14th position, allowed two cars to pass him at the start but overtook #16 Nojiri just before the chicane.He then calmly maneuvered around #12 Koide and #19 O’Sullivan, who had made contact in the chicane, and finished the opening lap in 13th place. Nonaka, who started in 23rd place, also overtook O’Sullivan and #39 Oyu immediately after crossing the control line, moving up to 21st place.

An incident involving multiple cars occurred at the chicane on the opening lap, and debris was scattered all the way to the home straight, prompting the deployment of the safety car (SC).After the restart on Lap 5, the race proceeded without any changes in position for a while. Yamashita, who had moved up to 9th place as other cars pitted, pitted at the end of Lap 16 and rejoined in 21st place. Nonaka, who was running in 11th place, also changed tires at the end of Lap 21 and returned to the track in 21st place.

All cars had completed their tire changes by the end of Lap 29. Yamashita, who was running in 17th place, passed Koide just before the hairpin curve and moved up to 16th. However, Yamashita struggled with a lack of speed throughout the race and was forced to drive under difficult conditions; he ultimately crossed the finish line in 16th place. Nonaka, in 19th place, also showed a never-give-up attitude right up until the very end, but was unable to improve his position and finished the race in 19th place.

Results

KCMG Results

Round 4: Final

Round 5: Final

Driver Comments

Driver Comments