Tomoki Nojiri retains his title, Ukyo Sasahara wins at Suzuka

Tomoki Nojiri was crowned Super Formula champion for the second consecutive time thanks to his 2nd place in Race 2 at Suzuka, won by his Team Mugen teammate, Ukyo Sasahara.

Published on 29/10/2022 à 09:13

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Tomoki Nojiri retains his title, Ukyo Sasahara wins Race 1 at Suzuka

Tomoki Nojiri gleans his 2nd consecutive title this season! © Twitter Team Mugen

And two for Tomoki Nojiri! The Japanese, already crowned in 2021, won his 2nd consecutive Super Formula title after Race 1 at Suzuka. Awarded three points for pole position, the Team Mugen driver had to finish in the top 3 to be crowned even before the last race of the season, Sunday on the same Suzuka circuit.

But the 33-year-old driver finished the championship in style by finishing 2nd, while his main rivals Sacha Fenestraz and Ryo Hirakawa could not do better than 16th and 9th respectively. Ukyo Sasahara, Nojiri's teammate at Team Mugen, won the first event of the weekend. The double also ensured Mugen won the teams' title ahead of Sunday's final.

https://twitter.com/SUPERFORMULA_En/status/1586247522192076800

Nojiri ensures, doubled for Mugen

Determined to leave nothing to his opponents, Tomoki Nojiri retained the lead of the race at the start, from pole position, ahead of Toshiki Oyu and Sasahara. Ritomo Miyata, 2nd on the grid, slipped to fourth after a poor start. Ukyo Sasahara quickly got the better of Toshiki Oyu's Nakajima Racing for second place at the start of the fourth lap, before putting pressure on his teammate.

When the pit window opened on lap 10, Sasahara was first in for a fresh set of tires, and Nojiri responded the following lap. Nojiri initially took the lead, but with colder tires, he was logically caught by Sasahara in the first sector, and did not hinder his teammate when the latter launched an attack at the hairpin.

Once in the lead, Sasahara was never threatened again, building a 12-second advantage en route to his second victory of the season and his career. Behind him, Tomoki Nojiri, not worried by his opponents at the back, preferred to secure the victory and the title by finishing 2nd. Ren Sato took the final podium place, his first in Super Formula.

Fenestraz helpless

Second in the championship arriving at Suzuka, Sacha Fenestraz had a very difficult race. The Frenchman failed to progress at the start and had a complicated race which earned him a sad 16th place. Therefore, Hirakawa and Fenestraz will enter Sunday's finale tied on points (81 points) in the fight for second place in the drivers' standings.

The rankings for Race 1 at Suzuka: