Kiwi teenager Sebastian Manson took two podiums and a fourth place in the third round of the Formula Regional Japanese Championship at Okayama International Circuit over the weekend.
Manson’s results leave him sit second in the championship standings with three rounds remaining.
The Birth Racing Project driver qualified third for the opening race, setting a best effort of 1:29.270 before qualifying fourth for Race 2 with a 1:28.235.
He was pipped by a fast-starting Yoshiaki Nakamura off the start of the opener and held on to fourth through the opening laps before a Safety Car was called when PONOS Racing’s Yorikatsu Tsujiko came to a stop.
Australian Jesse Lacey spun at Turn 1 after the restart, with the field parting to avoid the #53 G Force F111/3. Manson lost a place to Fuma Horio in the melee but held onto fourth at the chequered flag.
Switzerland’s Michael Sauter went on to win ahead of Nakamura and Horio, with Manson less than one second off the podium.
Sauter pulled to a clear lead on a wet track at the start of Race 2, with Lacey following and Nakamura claiming third. Manson ran fourth, initially dropping nearly two seconds behind the Japanese driver, but made the time back and took third on the final lap when Nakamura spun at the hairpin.
A 10-second post-race penalty for a jump start for Sauter saw Lacey classified as the winner, with the championship leader relegated to second.
Lacey got the better start in the finale to lead Sauter over the opening eight laps, with Manson climbing to third.
Sauter hit the front on Lap 9 before rain returned, and a Safety Car bunched the field together. The race finished under caution, with Manson crossing the line third but inheriting second when Lacey copped a 10-second time penalty for a jump start.
Sauter was credited with the race win ahead of the Kiwi, with Anna Inotsume promoted to the final podium spot at Lacey’s expense.
Manson’s third and fourth podiums of the season leave him second in the standings on 98 points, 53 behind his teammate and runaway leader Sauter.
Birth Racing Project leads the Teams’ Championship with a healthy 28-point advantage.
The Formula Regional Japanese Championship returns on August 24-25 at Mobility Resort Motegi.
