Liam Lawson has finished fourth in today’s Super Formula race at Suzuka, closing the gap on teammate and championship leader Tomoki Nojiri, who failed to finish following a mid-race crash.
Ritomo Miyata was the race winner, pipping Sho Tsuboi, who held off a fast-finishing Ryo Hirakawa for second.
Lawson had started on the fourth row for the race, but issues for two rivals ahead meant he was sixth on track out of grid slot eight.
A flying launch worked wonders, as did the space to his right, which allowed him to pull across and quickly build momentum. In no time, he was up to fourth, beginning to hunt down Nojiri up the road.
Nojiri was struggling for pace early, with Lawson catching the championship leader on Lap 4, quickly working his way through in an effort to bridge the gap to Tsuboi, in second, and race-leader Toshiki Oyu.
While he didn’t manage either of those passes, Lawson used the opportunity of a potential undercut, diving into the pits as soon as the window opened.
Tsuboi followed suit not long after, while Oyu decided to remain out in the lead. Tsuboi emerged from his stop in front of Lawson but on colder tyres. The Kiwi attempted to work a way through but struggled to find an opportunity, allowing the TOMs racer to pull clear once his tyres were up to heat.
Further back, Nojiri, who had lost another position, made his stop to emerge behind Lawson but some four seconds down the road.
Once Oyu did stop, after the halfway point, Tsuboi and Lawson streaked ahead, with Oyu emerging from the lane in front of a fast-approaching Nojiri.
The defending champion bridged the gap, attempting a move at a left-hander, but making contact with the early leader’s rear, sending them both into a spin and into the barriers at speed.
This triggered the races only Safety Car, much to the bemusement of Tsuboi and Lawson, who were both on old rubber and now within reach of those who had recently stopped.
That ultimately proved the deciding factor, with Miyata and Hirakawa both making a move forward for the podium at Lawson’s expense.
The result leaves Lawson third in the championship but now just 7 points off leader Nojiri.
Super Formula next returns at Autopolis on May 19-21.
