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Dandelion Racing Dominates the Super Formula Opener at Suzuka

Tadasuke Makino achieved a remarkable feat, sealing a victory for Dandelion Racing during the opening weekend of the Super Formula season at Suzuka, where his teammate Kakunoshin Ohta faced a setback due to a penalty that dropped him out of the points.

Makino proudly crossed the finish line ahead of Ohta, marking a 1-2 finish for the Honda-powered team. The race concluded under the safety car after Kondo Racing’s rookie, Zak O’Sullivan, crashed at Turn 2.

Ohta’s race took a turn when he received a five-second penalty for an incident involving Ayumu Iwasa. This occurred after both drivers executed early pit stops, leading Ohta to inadvertently cut the final chicane while overtaking Iwasa.

In contrast, Makino opted for a different strategy, remaining on track until lap 20. Despite a momentary setback where Ohta briefly overtook him after the pit stop onto cold tires, Makino quickly regained his lead by lap 24, thanks to the competitive advantage of fresh tires.

As the race approached its conclusion, Ohta found himself in jeopardy of being overtaken by TOM’S driver Sho Tsuboi, who, like Makino, had pitted on lap 20 and displayed significant pace as the laps dwindled.

However, the arrival of the safety car following O’Sullivan’s crash, caused by contact with Team Impul’s substitute, Seita Nonaka, bunched the field together, which ultimately contributed to Ohta dropping to 12th position and losing points.

Challenging Debut for O’Sullivan

O’Sullivan’s first weekend was rife with challenges, highlighting the difficulties faced by newcomers in competitive racing environments.

The reshuffling in positions allowed Tsuboi to secure the second spot, while Iwasa, who had started in second and led the race initially, rounded out the podium in third place.

Both Dandelion Racing cars were scrutinized for a possible breach of safety car regulations after Makino seemed to accelerate past the safety car as it entered the pits at the race’s conclusion. However, after a thorough review, he was vindicated and retained the win.

Tomoki Nojiri finished fourth after benefitting from Ohta’s penalty, and Igor Fraga marked a successful start with Nakajima Racing by clinching fifth place following an early pit stop.

Fraga’s teammate, Ren Sato, took a different strategy, finishing sixth and setting the fastest lap during the race, showcasing the variety of tactics employed by teams and drivers.

Rounding out the scoring positions were Toshiki Oyu from Inging, Shyn Koide, a rookie with B-Max Racing, Kamui Kobayashi from KCMG, and Kazuya Oshima of Rookie Racing. Meanwhile, Sacha Fenestraz, representing TOM’S, struggled to the 16th spot after an early pit stop left him trapped behind Sena Sakaguchi of Inging for an extended period.

Following this event, Iwasa takes the early lead in the championship standings with 30 points, followed closely by Tsuboi at 23 points and Ohta at 22 points. Makino now sits in fourth place with 21 points, having successfully defended his victory.

Final Standings:

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