MUGEN

2014.11.13

Yamamoto got points in two consecutive events! He is the first among the Honda drivers in this season!

Series name: 2014 Japanese Championship SUPER FORMULA Round 7
Event: 2014 SUPER FORMULA Round 7 JAF GRAND PRIX SUZUKA
Course Race 1: 5.807km × 20 laps (116.140km)
Course Race 2: 5.807km × 28 laps (162.596km)
Qualifying: 2014-11-09 Sat / Cloudy / Attendance 12,000 (Announcement from the organizer)
Race: 2014-11-10 Sun / Fine / Attendance 12,000 (Announcement from the organizer)

Japanese Championship SUPER FORMULA Round 7 (the final round in the series) was held at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture. TEAM MUGEN competed in this race with two cars, #1 Naoki Yamamoto and #2 Yuhki Nakayama. The race bore the name of JAF GRAND PRIX, and it comprised two separate races unlike usual races.

The starting grid for the race 1 is determined based on the results of Q1, and for the race 2, it is determined based on the results of Q3. Both race 1 and 2 are sprint races. The race distance is 20 laps for the race 1, and 28 laps for the race 2.

The setting for instantaneous maximum flow rate of the fuel restrictors was increased again, from 90 kg/h (For the overtaking systems, the maximum flow rate was increased five times up to 95 kg/h during the race.) up until the previous event to 100 kg/h (For the overtaking systems, the maximum flow rate was increased five times up to 105 kg/h during the race.).

However, since the engine replacements made on #1 car for Yamamoto and #2 car for Nakayama were not within the regulations, the starting grid for #1 Yamamoto, who was cited in the point ranking, was moved back by 10 grids for the race 1.

November 8th, (Sat)

■  Qualifying
#1 Naoki Yamamoto Q1: 6th position 00:01:38.474, Q2: 11th position 00:01:38.434, Q3: -
#2 Yuhki Nakayama Q1: 12th position 00:01:39.036, Q2: 13th position 00:01:39.010, Q3: -

The qualifying race features a knockout format with three sessions. For the two separate races in this event, the starting grid for race 1 is determined based on the results in Q1, for which all drivers run. The top 14 out of all drivers in Q1 will run Q2, and for the rest, the starting grid for the race 2 will be determined based on their results in Q1. The top 8 in Q2 will run Q3 as per usual SUPER FORMULA rules, and the starting grid for the race 2 will be determined for drivers who come in the 9th through 13th positions based on their results in Q2. Eventually, the starting grid for the top 8 drivers for the race 2 will be determined based on their results in Q3.

Q1 session started at 13:30 under an obscured sky. The track surface temperature was 26°C. #1 Yamamoto got along in high gear, and recorded time as 00:01:38.932 before he came back to the pit to get ready for a time attack in the latter half of the session. #2 Nakayama recorded time as 00:01:39.644. He also got high in Q1 while preparing for a time attack.

When we had less than 6 minutes and 30 seconds left for the session, competitors came back on the track one after another for time attacks. Though #1 Yamamoto drove fast in the section 2, he did not make it in other sections. His lap time was 00:01:38.474, and was in the 6th position. #2 Nakayama recorded time as 00:01:39.036, and was in the 12th position in Q1. They both could make it to Q2.

Q2 session started at 14:00 and lasted for 7 minutes. Both #1 Yamamoto and #2 Nakayama took two laps to warm up tires and tried time attacks. However, the results were 00:01:38.434 for #1 Yamamoto (11th position), and 00:01:39.010 for #2 Nakayama (13th position). They both could not make it to Q3.

As a result, it was determined that #1 Yamamoto would be in grid 15 (since he was moved back by 10 grids) in the race 1, and in grid 11 in the race 2. #2 Nakayama was in grid 11 in the race 1, and in grid 13 in the race 2.

November 9th, (Sun)

■   Final Race 1
#1 Naoki Yamamoto 7th position (00:40:03.352 / Best lap 00:01:57.058)
#2 Yuhki Nakayama Retired (off course on the lap 15, Best lap 00:01:57.716)

On the day of the final race, it was in wet conditions because of the rain started past midnight. Though it was not raining hard when the race 1 was about to start at 10:10, the track surface was completely wet, and we could not tell how the weather would turn.

When all cars took their positions on the starting grid for the official start after the formation running, a car had an engine stall on the starting grid. This caused a red flag to delay the start, and they had the formation running again to start the race. As a result of this, the actual number of laps for the race was decreased to 19 laps.

Both #1 Yamamoto and #2 Nakayama got a good start. #2 Nakayama was in the 10th position, and #1 Yamamoto was in the 13th position. Because of splash made by wet tires on the track, the visibility was low. In such severe conditions, #1 Yamamoto, who was moved back on the starting grid, chased cars ahead at his own pace. On the lap 4, he overtook #2 Nakayama and moved up to the 10th position.

It started rain harder in the middle of the race, and the track surface conditions got worse. However, #1 Yamamoto continued to race aggressively, and moved up to the 9th position on the lap 6, the 8th position on the lap 7, and the 7th position on the lap 8. An accident occurred on the lap 11, and we had a safety car (SC) run for 3 laps before the race was restarted.

Right after the restarting of the race, #2 Nakayama lost control of his car in the Dunlop Curve on the lap 15. He went off course and the car got broke, so he had to retire from the race. #1 Yamamoto continued the race after its restart, finished 7th in the race, which was the first among the Honda drivers, and got Championship points.

■   Final Race 2
#1 Naoki Yamamoto 6th position (19 laps 00:55:11.504 / Best lap 00:01:57.229)
#2 Yuhki Nakayama Retired 17th position (19 laps 00:55:47.075 / Best lap 00:01:57.473)

The final race 2 started at 15:00. Though the rain fell badly for a while and the track surface was in wet conditions, the rain was falling more gently when the starting time was approaching. However, all cars were provided with wet tires. It was a 28-lap race and tire replacements should be required, however, since all cars started with wet tires, you did not have to make pit stops for tire replacements.

The pit crew worked hard to repair the car, which had got broken in the race 1, for #2 Nakayama during the short interval. Though it could not be done before the warm-up laps, #2 Nakayama could manage to take his position on the starting grid.

At the moment that the signal to black out, #1 Yamamoto got a good start. However, #2 Nakayama took some time due to problems with the clutch, and he had to chase competitors from almost the last place. #1 Yamamoto was in the 9th position when he finished the lap 1, and steadily started to get closer to the cars ahead. However, due to the splash, it was difficult to ensure good visibility and overtake others.

#1 Yamamoto aimed accurately and overtook a car ahead from the outside line in the first curve on the lap 12 to move up to the 8th position. He further moved up, partly thanks to cars ahead that slowed down, and finished 6th in the race 2. #2 Nakayama chased hard, but could not move up. He finished 17th in the race 2.

#1 Yamamoto got 1 point in the race 1 and 1.5 Championship points in the race 2. This increased his series points to 14.5 points. He was ranked 9th and the first among the Honda drivers in this season. TEAM MUGEN had 12.5 Championship points, and was ranked 7th in this series.

■ Comments from the team director, Nagataka Tezuka

Based on the data we have collected, the engineers considered the settings for the race. The performance was relatively good for us, but competitors were faster, and we did not understand why. Compared to the previous race at Suzuka Circuit, there were improvements in engines as well as cars, and characteristics also changed. This might be the reason why the previous data did not work without making any modification.

In the tough situations, Yamamoto did a good job as the first among the Honda drivers. Though the results were not satisfactory at all, I think we did the best we could. It was amazing that the team crew repaired the car for Nakayama so that he could manage to run the race 2.

Looking back today, it was a tough season for us. Well, it is natural since I have never felt easy in any season. I hope we could show you that our cars could run fast in the latter half of the race. However, we should have established our strength comprehensively. We will make improvements based on the reflections for the next year.

We would like to say thank you to our fans, and greatly appreciate your support. We will make further efforts to take revenge and become the top team next year. Again, thank you very much for your support this year.

We would like to say thank you to our fans, and greatly appreciate your support. We will make further efforts to take revenge and become the top team next year. Again, thank you very much for your support this year.

♦ Photo Gallery (Round7)