New Zealander Liam Lawson will start on the second row of this evening’s Super Formula season opener at Fuji after setting the third-fastest time in this afternoon’s qualifying session.
The Kiwi was just two-tenths off top spot which was taken by his Team Mugen teammate and two-time defending champion Tomoki Nojiri.
Nojiri was the man to beat throughout the 45-minute session, his best time of 1min 22.062sec pipping TOM’S racer Ritomo Miyata by just 0.046 seconds.
A Team Mugen front-row lockout had appeared on the cards heading into the final 15 minutes, Nojiri leading Lawson by three-tenths as competitors set their final fast laps.
Whilst Nojiri wasn’t able to improve on his time, Lawson was able to shave one-tenth off his. It was late in the session when Miyata set his best lap, pipping Lawson but not managing to overcome the #1.
Following yesterday’s cancellation of the sole practice session, qualifying’s format was changed to a timed run instead of the usual knockout version. This meant most teams spent the first half getting up to speed on the circuit while putting their new SF23s to the test.
Few times were bettered in the final laps of qualifying, and the order was primarily established with 10 minutes still to go. This included Lawson, who was unable to move to the front row with his final lap as the chequered flag flew.
Today’s Super Formula race will cover 41 laps and begins at 5.15 pm.
The field will return for Round 2 tomorrow, with qualifying at 12.00 pm and another 41-lap race at 5.30 pm.
Super Formula is available to watch on motorsport.tv but does require paid premium access. It will also be streamed live on the SF go App, which is also a paid service.
Header Image: Liam Lawson in action for Team Mugen. Image: Masahide Kamio
