First Super Formula tests for Kalle Rovanperä and Jack Doohan

For Kalle Rovanperä, Wednesday was the big day! The two-time World Rally Champion officially begins his new life as a driver of carThe Finn, who will be participating in his first Super Formula season in Japan, was able to test his new car for the first time, alongside the other drivers in the championship and some who might like to discover the Japanese car next season.

Third in the last exercise WRCRovanperä did not make his debut in the world of single-seaters on this occasion, as he had already driven a Formula 1 from home Red Bull, and more recently a F2 of the previous generation, entered by the Hitech TGR team. For a first day against its potential rivals, Rovanperä learned, while navigating at the back of the standings.

The Finn finished the first day of testing in last place, seven seconds off Igor Fraga's benchmark time. By comparison, Rovanperä's teammate on Wednesday, Kenta Yamashita, was credited with the sixth fastest time on the very demanding Suzuka circuit. Kalle Rovanperä was unable to complete the day of testing as he would have liked, however, as he began to feel unwell, and the championship doctors prevented him from taking to the track for the remainder of the tests.

« During my lunch break, I experienced symptoms of BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), which affects balance and vision via the inner ear., he explained on social networks. "The doctor has forbidden me from driving this week. I'm really disappointed because we haven't had the opportunity to drive properly, apart from our aerodynamic test this morning. Bad luck to have this on our first outing. Now it's time for me to recover and I'm looking forward to the next time."

Rovanperä wasn't the only factory driver trying his luck on the first day of Super Formula testing, as Australian Jack Doohan was also on track. Doohan, who has participated in seven Grands Prix for...Alpine was credited with the penultimate time, and caused a red flag.

On a circuit where he had a spectacular crash in the opening laps of FP2 for the Japanese Grand Prix, Doohan lost control at Degner this time, ending up in the tire wall. Frenchman Sacha Fenestraz also drove on Wednesday, finishing with the sixteenth fastest time.

Doohan will be involved in the last two days of testing, while other drivers will only partially participate in these sessions, notably the reigning FRECA champion, Freddie Slater, who will take to the track on Friday.

Super Formula – Suzuka Tests
The results of the first day

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