2018 Super Formula Championship Rd. 1 at Suzuka Preview

It’s been over a half a year since the out-of-season typhoon brought the final race of 2017 at Suzuka to an abrupt halt. It’s now time again for action-packed Super Formula to hit the track at Suzuka. This will mark the last season that the SF14 chassis will be used–a chassis that is said to rival cornering speeds of F1. Who will win at Suzuka? We will find out soon enough, as April 21st (Sat) and 22nd (Sun) are just around the corner. As with last season, Super Formula will feature 19 racers from 11 teams. Many of the faces have changed however. For example, Andre Lotterer, a 15-year Super Formula mainstay will not be in the line-up. Veteran Takashi Kogure won’t be driving this season either. F1 pilot Pierre Gasly, who won 2 races last season won’t be in the grid as well.
This season, Nobuharu Matsushita, who raced in FIA-F2 last year, will be in the #6 car for DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING. In the #15 car for TEAM MUGEN will be Nirei Fukuzumi, who will also be racing in FIA-F2 this season. Last year’s World Series Formula V-8 3.5 Champion Pietro Fittipaldi will be driving the #7 car for UOMO SUNOCO TEAM LEMANS in 2018. Four other rookies with vast Japanese F3 experience will also be in the line-up. Coming back into the Super Formula line-up are James Rossister in the #37 car for VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S, and in the #20 car for ITOCHU ENEX TEAM IMPUL will be Ryo Hirawaka.
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No.6 Nobuharu Matsushita
DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING -
No.15 Nirei Fukuzumi
TEAM MUGEN -
No.7 Pietro Fittipaldi
UOMO SUNOCO TEAM LEMANS -
No.37 James Rossiter
VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S -
No.20 Ryo Hirakawa
ITOCHU ENEX TEAM IMPUL -
No.50 Katsumasa Chiyo
B-Max Racing team
Each race 2 new sets of medium and soft tires will be provided to the teams. Two sets of used tires from off season tests can be brought in for Round 1 at Suzuka, but which spec of tires the teams select will be a focal point during race weekend. Only medium compound tires can be used in Qualifying session 1 (Q1), but either compound of tire can be used in Q2 and Q3. More than likely, if the drivers want to win a high spot on the grid, new soft tires will be used. Which translates to the probability of used soft tires being put on the cars for free practice sessions on Friday and Saturday by some of the teams, so they can set their cars up just right heading into Qualifying.


carrozzeria Team KCMG

VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S

P.MU/CERUMO · INGING