This season Rookie of the Year was definitely with TEAM GOH, but was yet to be decided between Sato and Miyake.   The result would be carried over to the final round, although Sato’s third place in Round 9 gave him 11 points taking his points tally to 25 for the season.  It meant that in round 10 Miyake was trailing Sato by 7 points giving Ren Sato the Rookie of the Year title.

The final two rounds, 9 and 10, of the 2022 All-Japan Super Formula Championship were held on Saturday and Sunday, 29^th and 30^th October, at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture.

In the tenth and final round of the season on Sunday the mission was to get the No. 55 car through Q1 so dynamic changes were made to the car’s set-up.  As as result Miyake secured 8^th place on the grid, but it turned into a defensive race and he was unable to increase his previous day’s pace.

Miyake was able to defend his 8^th position and finished his first Super Formula season with three points.

Atsushi Miyake, #55 Driver

“On Saturday night we worked hard to solve the issues we had before the final race on Sunday.  Having reviewed everything, including my driving, with the team I was able to get through Q1 as I wanted to start at the front for the final race in Round 10 on Sunday.  I made it to Q2 and would start the race from eighth, not as far ahead as I wanted to be, but better than yesterday.  Having had a bad start in my last few races I had an idea regarding the cause, so last night the mechanics had a late night reviewing and checking all the data, the clutch, etc., so we got off to quite a good start.  However, when it came to the race I had difficulty driving well, which was the complete opposite to yesterday; my plan had been to move forward from my 8^th place, but I finished up having to defend”

“Makino was chasing me towards the end of the race, but, assisted by the radio information from the team and by using the OTS, I was able to defend well.  I think I’ve made progress in these areas from the experience I’ve gained throughout the season.  I would like to thank all those involved with us this season and all the fans who have supported us.”

Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

“Qualifying for Miyake had been an issue so we made some radical changes to the set-up for Round 10.  It all turned out to be positive and Miyake progressed through Q1 to qualify eigth.  For Round 10 we made further changes for the race from the previous days’ set-up, but the direction we chose didn’t work as we ended up with bad understeer on the front and low drivability.  I felt really sorry for the driver.

But Miyake managed to hold on despite these problems finishing in 8^th place and scoring some points so I was happy for him and his team.  We want to build a better team for next year which means we still have a lot of work to do.”

Shintaro Okajima, #55 Engineer

“Our mission for Round 10 qualifying was to make sure we could get the car through Q1, and Miyake drove well so we progressed to Q2 and started the race from 8^th position which is within the points.  I believe that overall our qualifying session was as an improvement on the previous day’s Round 9.  However, there were issues with the car’s set-up for the race and I regret we were unable to improve our 8^th place starting position due to a drop in performance on the base set-up used for Saturday’s race.”

“Strategically the only option we had was to make an early pit stop.  I think if the car’s performance had been a little higher we could have adopted a different strategy.  Next season the car will be different, so at the moment I don’t know whether we will be able to utilise any of our experience from this year, but I hope we can build a better future.”

The final two rounds, 9 and 10, of the 2022 All-Japan Super Formula Championship were held on Saturday and Sunday, 29^th and 30^th October, at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture.

In Round 10 the following day, Sunday, 30^th, unfortunately Sato missed out on getting through Q1 and had to start the race from 14^th.  After two Safety Car restarts he lost positions and was only able to finish the race in 19^th position.  However, he finished his Rookie year setting the fastest race lap in a time of 1:39.362.

Ren Sato, #53 Driver

“Unfortunately I was unable to make it past Q1 qualifying in Sunday’s Round 10 and had to start the race from 14^th position.

After the first Safety Car I spun on the opening lap and dropped to the back of the grid.  Then after the second Safety Car I was catching up, but as I battled through the traffic I damaged my front wing which prevented me from winning the race.

I was able to take the fastest race lap and I think I could have done more, but my poor race set-up remains an issue.

I have learned a lot in my first season in Super Formula and I would like to thank everyone involved and all the fans who supported me.”

Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

“Ren’s race on Saturday was great, especially finishing on the podium in third place.  Since Round 10 on Sunday was the final race we decided to go a little aggressive for qualifying, but Ren fishished 7^th in Q1 so was unable to progress to Q2.  Consequently Ren had to start the race from 14^th position and wasn’t able to improve his pace during the race.

I thought it was lucky when the Safety Car came out on the first lap of the race, but when the lights went green Ren spun ending up at the back of the grid.  Ren then drove at a pace comparable to the leaders, but after a second Safety Car restart he tried overtaking the car in front and hit it which damaged his front wing and forced him to pit for a second time.

Despite then having to run at the back of the field with no real opportunity to progress further forward, Ren’s pace was good and he was able to set the fastest lap.  It had turned into a disappointing race for everyone, but the team had found a good setting which I believe we can take into the future.”

Ryan Dingle, #53 Engineer

“Based on the previous day’s data we made adjustments for qualifying in Round 10 and we were quite happy with them, but we came up short on lap time to get through to Q1.  Using the previous day’s race set-up we felt we were starting from a good base, but on Sunday the conditions were different so we made adjustments which gave us good pace.  But starting from 14^th on the grid may have put pressure on the driver making him try too hard which ultimately would lead to small mistakes and some risk management which I believe was unfortunate.

Ren showed he was definitely fast enough and I’m happy he won Rookie of the Year, but honestly, I wish he’d finished a bit higher, so we’ll work on that in the future.”

The final two rounds, 9 and 10, of the 2022 All-Japan Super Formula Championship were held on Saturday and Sunday, 29^th and 30^th October, at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture.

In Round 9, the No. 55 car of Atsushi Miyake was starting from 14^th on the grid having failed to make it to Q2, but his race pace was good and he set the fastest time on lap 12.  However, unable to progress through the heavy traffic, he finished 12^th missing out on any points.

Atsushi Miyake, #55 Driver

“Being stuck at the back of the grid made qualifying tough for Saturday’s 9^th Round, but my start didn’t go well either following the previous round at Motegi.  I lost positions and wanted to find the reason in order to be ready for the final round the following day.  After that the car was good, and even though I was running in traffic I was able to record the fastest lap after the pit stop, so I had the feeling that if I could do well in qualifying and secure a front grid position I would have the potential to aim for a podium finish or even a win.”

Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

“In Round 9 Miyake in the No. 55 car was only about 1/100^th of a second short in Q1 which meant he was unable to progress to Q2 and would have to start from 14^th position.  Despite setting the fastest lap time Miyake was caught up in traffic and was unable to use his pace to progress so he had a tough race.”

Shintaro Okajima, #55 Engineer

“Unfortunately Miyake missed out on not getting through Q1 by just 1/100^th of a second in the  Round 9 Qualifying session which meant we needed to work more on the set-up.  I also think we had some issues with Miyake’s driving so it was necessary for us to work together on those areas.  Compared to the leaders there was also a big gap in performance so it was necessary to have a major review of the qualifying set-up in parparation for the final round the next day.  We stumbled at the start of the race in Round 9, but on the whole I think our race performance was pretty good.

Our strategy was to pit after 10 laps to get the undercut, but it became impossible to regain our position on track as Miyake was unable to increase his pace in the latter half of the race due to all the traffic ahead of him.  It quickly became clear I would have to reconsider my strategy for Round 10.  I felt the car’s set-up would give us good performance, and in fact we were able to set the fastest lap times.  So we then looked at how we could maximise the good parts of the race set-up for the Sunday’s qualifying.”

The final two rounds, 9 and 10, of the 2022 All-Japan Super Formula Championship were held on Saturday and Sunday, 29^th and 30^th October, at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture.

Both qualifying and the final of Round 9 were held on Saturday, 29^th, with Ren Sato driving TEAM GOH’s No. 53 car.  Starting from 9^th on the grid he went on to achieve his first podium in Super Formula with a 3^rd place finish.

Ren Sato, #53 Driver

“I started from ninth position in Round 9 and overtook a car at the start, then another on the next lap and eventually took my first podium by finishing third.  I want to thank the team for giving me a great car and for the regular radio updates throughout the race.

I have driven Suzuka circuit in the SRS programme so as a Rookie I knew exactly where I could overtake and make the moves I needed to without any hesitation on the more Senior drivers.”

Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

“I was really happy seeing Ren Sato in the No. 53 car take his first podium on Saturday.  In qualifying his time in Q1 was good, but unfortunately it didn’t improve enough in Q2 which meant he had to start the race from ninth position.  I felt very strongly we had to do everything we could to help Ren set a good time in Q2 in order to start further forward on the grid in Round 10 on Sunday.  We found a good car set-up for the race in Round 9 and both the drivers did a really good job.  I think the first two laps at the start of the race decided the final outcome of Round 9.  Ren managed to improve his position and congratulations to him on his first podium.”

Ryan Dingle, #53 Engineer

“Our position in Friday’s Free Practice left a lot to be desired, but generally the car’s performance was good and we were able to resolve the issues before qualifying for Round 9, but we still had work to do.  The race performance was high, not only due to the car’s set-up, but also because the driver worked very hard both in preparation and putting more effort into driving adjustments.  All the efforts of the driver and the team finally paid off and we were able to achieve a result.  But we couldn’t be satisfied with third place and we were determined to do even better in the following day’s final race of the season, our aim being to take a victory.”

By having a slow start to Round 8 from his 9^th position on the grid Miyake quickly lost a few places, but then during his pit stop on lap 27 further problems with his front jack meant he would finish the second round of Motegi in 15^th place.

Atsushi Miyake, Driver No. 55

“After Round 7 on Saturday, my advisor, Takuya Izawa, pointed out some of the things wrong with my driving.  It was difficult to improve immediately this morning as qualifying for Round 8 was about to confront me, but I began to realise I was better at making good corrections in the right direction so the car settings were also better which enabled me to get through Q1,  I think it would have been more effective to make the car a bit quicker in Q2, but I did manage to secure 9^th place, so it felt good to have a grid position in single figures, especially in view of the last few races.

I got off to a slow start in Round 8, however the balance of the car was good compared to that of my rivals and I could keep a good pace, but at my pit stop towards the end of the race I had a front jack problem and lost time which meant I would be unable to finish at the front.  However, having had to retire from the last two races due to contact, firstly it was good for me to take the chequered flag despite being at the back of the field, and secondly it was good to change the course of recent events.  I know my long race pace is still not as good as the leaders, but judging by Friday’s Free Practice and Saturday’s race I am sure we are heading in the right direction.  Our next races are in Suzuka, which is a circuit I have already raced as a rookie and I will do all I can to qualify in the top positions for both races.”

Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

“In Round 8 Miyake qualified 9^th, but lost a few positions at the start of the race.  His race pace after that was not bad so we followed the same strategy as No. 53, but pitted a little later.  Unfortunately there was a front jack malfunction during the pit stop resulting in Miyake returning to the track behind the whole field which was disappointing.  It was a shame too because both car No. 53 and No. 55 had the potential to score points.  On the positive side I think the direction in which we are going is the right one, we have proved we can compete well so we will continue our preparations for Suzuka.”

Shintaro Okajima, Engineer No. 55

“After reviewing the issues, including the set-up, which had given us problems during Round 7 on Saturday, I was happy we were able to get through Q1 in Round 8 on Sunday.  As for the Round 8 race, our long run set-up was the same as Saturday’s warm-up, so we did not improve on the problems.  With the double-header format it enabled us to improve both the performance and technical level of the car following the race in Round 7 which was good, but we still need to do more to improve on our performance in order to reduce the time gap to the leaders.

As far as our long race runs are concerned, the No. 53 car certainly has a better balance, so we will now go away and analyse that data in order to extract the good parts for us to use in Suzuka.”

In Round 8 held at Motegi on Sunday 21 August Ren Sato earned four points by starting in 10^th and finishing 7^th.

Ren Sato, Driver No. 53

“I got a good start in Round 8 and managed to improve my position, but during running I created a flat spot on the right front tyre.

This caused some vibration, but I could retain my pace and we set a strategy to run a longer stint which worked out well as I was able to finish 7^th.

Looking back at Round 8 I certainly felt I needed to be closer to the front of the starting grid for the race.  Now we will do all we can as a team to ensure we prepare well for Suzuka and give ourselves the best opportunity to secure a podium.”

Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

“Ren qualified 10^th for Round 8 on Sunday with a time of 30.750 seconds placing the No. 53 car in a position where we could compete for a good result.  In warm-up, using the set-up based on the previous day’s performance, we found a good direction which enabled Ren to make a good start in the race and gradually improve our position.

Ren’s race pace was good so we set our strategy to stay out long and at the end use up the OTS (Overtake System), but unfortunately Ren couldn’t overtake Sacha (Fenestraz).  The race itself was good, but our challenge is clear and that’s to qualify higher up the grid, so we’ll be ready for the final two rounds at Suzuka.”

Ryan Dingle, Engineer No. 53

“We did uncover some good findings which we were able to make good use of in Round 8’s race and Ren Sato had a good race pace.  He didn’t lose any positions at the start and I think he did well to hold off Matsushita on the second lap and keep his position; it was a clean race and also good from a strategic point of view.  Our next rounds are to be held in Suzuka, which is another circuit with different characteristics, but we will prepare well to make good use of what we learned here at Motegi.  Suzuka will be a double-header format again, but our aim is to be on the podium from the first race.”

The 2022 All-Japan Super Formula Championship held its first double-header event in April at the opening rounds of the Championship in Fuji, and on 20-21 August this format was replicated by holding Rounds 7 and 8 at Motegi.

Atsushi Miyake in the No. 53 car started Round 7 in 16^th position, but towards the end of the race he hit the car in front of him causing him to retire.

Atsushi Miyake, Driver No. 55

“I know that Motegi is a difficult track to overtake on, so qualifying and the race start would be really important.  At the start of the Free Practice session on Friday I was able to keep in the top group, but by the middle of the session I was falling back and track conditions were constantly changing.

Following Friday’s Free Practice session I was able to identify some issues for qualifying for Round 7 on Saturday, but unfortunately I was unable to improve my time and due to lack of the correct set-up and not correcting my driving sufficiently, I finished 16^th.  Having been able to run in the top group early in Friday’s Free Practice, despite the high temperatures and dusty track, I believe there is good potential in the car.”

Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

With regard to Miyake in the No. 55 car, we were working in the same direction as the No. 53 car for qualifying in Round 7, consequently the results for both the No. 53 and No. 55 cars were similar meaning Miyake didn’t have the pace and finished up 16^th.  It crossed my mind in the last few minutes on the grid to go with slicks, but then the rain increased and I made the decision at the last minute to go with wets.  Miyake struggled to quicken his pace in the race because after the Safety Car came in and he tried to get closer to the car ahead, the spray obstructed his vision and he hit the car in front forcing him to retire.

Shintaro Okajima, Engineer No. 55

“Despite there being some differences in conditions, the fastest time in Q1 qualifying for Round 7 was faster than the pole time set in last year’s Super Formula Motegi event, and I think we did not adjust enough for the conditions.

Because conditions were dry during warm-up we chacked the dry set-up for the race in Round 7.  We found a lot of understeer, which would impact our performance, so after our reconnaissance laps we made some changes on the grid to correct it, but then it turned into a wet race.

Miyake struggled to improve his pace in the early stages of the race, but he improved as he settled down.  Despite the changing conditions we were also able to improve the understeer and gather some good data.  For Round 8 on Sunday we knew we were not fast enough to compete with the leaders so we needed to review our qualifying and race set-up.

The 2022 All-Japan Super Formula Championship held its first double-header event in April at the opening rounds of the Championship in Fuji, and on 20-21 August this format was replicated by holding Rounds 7 and 8 at Motegi.

Driving the No. 53 TEAM GOH car Ren Sato started Round 7 in 15^th place on the grid and in finishing 12^th unfortunately scored no points.

Ren Sato, Driver No. 53

“I was unable to resolve the problems we had in Friday’s Free Practice session which resulted in a poor qualifying for Round 7 on Saturday where I ended up in 15^th.

With the race on Saturday afternoon being the same day as Round 7’s qualifying, it made it very tough because due to rain the conditions were totally different.  We managed to finish the race in 12^th, three positions higher than we had started, but looking back over the whole day it left us with issues in both the dry and the wet that needed resolving so we had a meeting on the Saturday evening to discuss how we could improve for Sunday’s Round 8.

Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

“Beginning with Friday’s Free Practice we tried too many things with the set-up on Ren Sato’s No. 53 car and we just didn’t get it in the right place for qualifying.  Ren was able to set his best lap in qualifying, but we were lacking behind our competitors.

After our reconnaissance laps to the grid in Round 7 were over it started raining.  It became completely wet so we adjusted the set-up accordingly.  Managing the tyres and the conditions certainly turned it into a race of patience, but when Ren Sato was closing in on a points position towards the end of the race, he pushed too hard and unfortunately went off the track.  Regrettable, but also a learning experience.

Ren qualified 10^th for Round 8 on Sunday with a time of 30.750 seconds placing the No. 53 car in a position where we could compete for a good result.  In warm-up, using the set-up based on the previous day’s performance, we found a good direction which enabled Ren to make a good start in the race and gradually improve our position.

Ren’s race pace was good so we set our strategy to stay out long and at the end use up the OTS (Overtake System), but unfortunately Ren couldn’t overtake Sacha (Fenestraz).  The race itself was good, but our challenge is clear and that’s to qualify higher up the grid, so we’ll be ready for the final two rounds at Suzuka.”

Ryan Dingle, Engineer No. 53

“Considering our Free Practice on Friday, Ren Sato’s qualifying time for Round 7 on Saturday was not bad, however the improvement made by our rivals was much better consequently we ended up in 15^th.  The race was a wet one, the drivers couldn’t see in front of them due to the spray and tyre control was important so I think they all suffered.

We had a thorough discussion on Saturday evening about the points we regretted from Round 7 and by checking and examining the data we were able to improve the car for qualifying on Sunday for Round 8.  We managed to improve our starting position, but we still needed to get further ahead to make the race easier.”

Round 6 at Fuji Speedway（4.563km）

・16 July: Qualifying – P12（1’38.435)

Weather: Rain  Temperature: 22℃　Track Conditions: Wet, 24℃

・17 July: Race – DNF

Weather: Fine  Temperature: 27℃　Track Conditions: Dry, 37℃

TEAM GOH’s car no. 55, Atsushi Miyake, was starting from 12^th on the grid on Sunday, 17^th July, at Round 6 of the 2022 All Japan Super Formula Championship, but was forced to retire after suffering considerable damage in a multi-car accident right at the start of the race.

◆Atsushi Miyake, Driver

“I knew right from Saturday’s Free Practice that the car’s performance was good, but due to several yellow and red flags in the wet qualifying I was not able to attack when I needed to and finished up with a totally unsatisfactory time which placed me 12^th on the grid.

Needless to say I was hoping the good feeling I had in the car during Free Practice would translate to the race and I would be able to move up from my lowly 12^th place and obtain a podium finish. However, that was not to come to fruition because unfortunately just after the start of the race, at turn 1, I caused a multiple collision which sadly forced me to retire.

Our next race is at Motegi, and that is a track where it is very difficult to overtake, so I need to prepare well in order to be able start from the front of the grid.”

◆Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

“Miyake having to start from 12^th on the grid was caught up in an incident with multiple cars just after the start which caused damage to his front wing, the front control arm and the under panel of his car which resulted in his retirement.

But overall things are moving in the right direction, we just need to be more aggressive in order to get a rood result in our next round at Motegi.”

◆Shintaro Okajima, Engineer

“Being confronted with a wet FP1 in Fuji, we looked at the data from our wet set-up at Round 3 in Suzuka as well as the data from our opening round in Fuji where it had been dry, but where our performance had been very good. We raised the base set-up higher than we had previously had at the wet race in Suzuka and the findings were good in FP1.

Unfortunately in qualifying Miyake was unable to set a good time which disappointed me because I felt his 12^th position did not reflect the real performance of the car. On Sunday morning in FP2 we took the base setting we had used in the 2022 opening rounds at Fuji and added slightly to them which provided a good balance to the car for the race, consequently it was such a shame to retire right after the race start.

We have a two-race event ahead of us at the next round in Motegi so we now need to focus really hard on the second half of the season.”

Round 6 at Fuji Speedway（4.563km）

・16 July: Qualifying – P16 (1’39.860)

Weather: Rain  Temperature: 22℃　Track Conditions: Wet, 24℃

・17 July: Race – P6

Weather: Fine  Temperature: 27℃　Track Conditions: Dry, 37℃

Having started from 16^th on the grid in TEAM GOH’s car no. 53, Ren Sato enjoyed his third points scoring race of the season at Round 6 of the 2022 All Japan Super Formula Championship held at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture on Sunday, 17^th July. These were Sato’s first points since Round 3 in Suzuka, so his points tally for the season so far now stands at 10.

◆Ren Sato, Driver

“I believe I had a good race pace this weekend. I started 16^th on the grid, but was able to recover to finish 6^th in the race and certainly the timing of the Safety Car helped.

Unfortunately I made a mistake at the beginning of the race which left me with a tyre flat spot causing me to struggle in some areas, but I believe by improving a step at a time in order to avoid such errors I will be able to get even better results.

I will now focus on my own improvements and work with the team to prepare for our next round in Motegi so that I can aim for the podium.”

◆Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

“It had been tough qualifying in the rain, but having started the race from 16^th position and by making good use of the Safety Car, Ren Sato was able to improve his position.

He flat spotted one of the tyres right after the start of the race which meant he had a problem with the balance of the car and he lost a few positions, but as a driver I asked him to do his best so that I could delay his pit stop which gave us a better strategy.

We had our sights on a 5^th place finish, but despite coming very close on the final lap, the overtake just didn’t happen although it was a very close call.

However, Ren Sato was able to climb up the grid from 16^th to 6^th and get some points which is not bad.”

◆Ryan Dingle, Engineer

“Due to a series of yellow and red flags caused by the wet conditions during qualifying, Ren Sato did not get the opportunity to properly attack when it mattered the most and that resulted in him dropping down to 16^th position.

On Sunday in FP2, barring one or two small changes, our base set-up was similar to the one we had used at Fuji in the opening two rounds of the Championship and it was generally agreed the feeling and performance of the car were not bad.

However, starting from 16^th position on Sunday in the race, in order to be competitive, we had to be fast on the straights which meant we had to reduce the downforce level we had used in FP2.

Flat spotting the tyre at the beginning of the race was a real pity because Ren lost a lot of time, but once the tyre recovered his pace was good and he was able to improve his position. Finishing 6^th was not what we were aiming for, but considering Ren had started in 16^th, it’s not bad.

For our next round at Motegi we will have to try more aggressive strategies right from the get-go in FP1; we have to aim for a high performance in order to get a podium finish.”

18 June: Weather: Fine  Temperature: 28℃　Track Conditions: Dry, 44℃

・Qualifying – P21(1’05.736)

22 May: Weather: Fine  Temperature: 30℃　Track Conditions: Dry, 43℃

・Race – P18

Round 5 of the 2022 All-Japan Super Formula Championship was held on Sunday, 19^th June. The 53-lap race held at SUGO saw TEAM GOH’s Atsushi Miyake take the chequered flag in 18^th place after a poor qualifying session meant he would start from the back of the grid. Despite being a rookie, he has gained a total of 18 points in the first half of this season and will be aiming for a more consistent performance in the second half.

◆Atsushi Miyake, Driver

“On Saturday morning in FP1 I wasn’t in a very good position, so I tried to improve both my driving and the set-up for Q1, but it didn’t really help, and I ended up at the back in qualifying. We changed the settings for the long run in the race which proved easy to drive, however, SUGO is a very narrow circuit and due to the turbulence from the cars in front of me, I often lost downforce so I couldn’t improve my position. I think the fact we qualified last was the reason for our defeat this time around.”

“Looking back on the first half of the season I finished on the podium at Autopolis and gained 18 points from five races, but despite the ups there were downs both at Suzuka and here in SUGO. The next round at Fuji, my second visit after the season opener, will be significant as rankings are important, but I want to work even harder in the second half of the season in order to achieve more consistent results and compete at a higher level.”

◆Masashi Yamamoto, Team Director

“We bought a car here to SUGO which we felt would suit Miyake’s driving style and it wasn’t far off, but the changing conditions for qualifying caused problems which resulted in giving Miyake difficulties with car set-up. During the race, a car in front of Miyake caused turbulence which gave him aero problems so he couldn’t really push hard, but despite this Miyake said his car was very drivable. We discussed qualifying and how it is key to race position and the fact that you need to be in front.”

“Sascha Fenestraz, who excelled today, was behind Miyake after the pit-stop and was unable to overtake for the entire race. That’s the biggest difficulty here in SUGO, it’s a narrow circuit and you have to qualify well in order to lead the race; as a rookie Team Director this is something I’ve learned.”

“As a team we got to understand the drivers and what they wanted from their cars in the first half of the season. Now we are trying new things and hoping the second half of the season will bring us a turnaround in the points standings. Even though our drivers are rookies, I’m hoping we can get on the podium and even aim for a win.”

◆Shintaro Okajima, Engineer

“We didn’t bring a good set-up here to SUGO which meant we weren’t able to solve the problems before qualifying. However, the qualifying session for our No. 53 sister car was relatively good, so we used their data for reference for FP2 on Sunday morning. We reviewed the aero balance and the mechanical set-up and it greatly improved the problems we had incurred on the first day so we went into the race without making any major changes. Kamui Kobayashi was in front of Miyake during the race which meant he incurred a lot of turbulence. However, when he wasn’t in the bad air the performance of the car was high and I received some good feedback from Miyake on how he felt in the car. This means we have found a good race set-up here in SUGO, but we still had some issues with our performance in the qualifying short runs.”

“The first half of the season was full of ups and down for Miyake in the No. 55 car. As a rookie to get on the podium in his fourth race must have been a good confidence boost for him, but we still need more podiums in the second half of the season to win the championship. We will now review the good and bad points from the first half of the season in order to prepare for the second half.”