Super GT – Honda takes its first pole

The weather continues to play havoc at Fuji Speedway, with this region of the Japanese archipelago even threatened by a typhoon. Earlier, it also disrupted qualifying for the fifth round of the 2014 Super GT, with rain falling on the track in Q2. Hence times much higher than those achieved in Q1.

In the end, thanks to a lap completed in 1'37"306, Koudai Tsukakoshi gave the Honda NSX-GT Concept its first pole position. The Japanese from Keihin Real Racing, who shares the wheel of the No. 17 with his compatriot Toshihiro Kaneishi, completed a lap in 1'37"306. " I am delighted, he said at a press conference. The conditions were very difficult, but the fact that I managed to do well highlights the quality of the team we have. Already in free practice, the car was not bad. In Q2 (when the rain started to fall. Ed.), the whole thing was to know whether or not to keep the slick tires. But Kaneishi, our team manager, trusted me and we decided to use “rain gums”. His support allowed us to achieve this pole position. »

Next to him on the front row, the Japanese pair will find tomorrow the official No. 23 Nissan GT-R equipped with Michelin tires, the Ronnie Quintarelli-Tsugio Matsuda duo being credited in Q2 with a time of 1'37"636. The two men managed to beat the #8 Arta Engineering Honda NSX-GT Concept by two tenths on board, on board which Vitantonio Liuzzi and Kosuke Matsuura took turns.

Honda's return to form does not displease Frédéric Makowiecki, best time in free practice this morning. The No. 18 of Weider Modulo Racing that the Frenchman shares with Naoki Yamamoto will be positioned tomorrow on 6th place on the starting grid. All hopes are therefore high, especially since in Q1, this car set the second absolute time, 0 behind the No. 05 Nissan, two cars driven by Bibendum.