Varying conditions and limited track time were some of the challenges faced by Formula Regional Japanese Championship competitors at Fuji over the weekend, but New Zealander Liam Sceats made the most of his opportunities to finish fourth in Race 1 before winning Race 2.
With championship leader Sota Ogawa failing to finish in the latter, Sceats has reduced the gap to the top of the leaderboard to just 28 points with three races remaining at Sportsland Sugo.
“I am happy to have come away with another race win this weekend at Fuji,” said Sceats.
“It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get any proper mileage in one weather condition during the two days that we were on track, as the conditions were mixed and forever changing throughout the day. This made it challenging to build on the progress made after the Motegi round in terms of working on my skills.
“It was a weird weekend, with FP1 cancelled due to heavy rain, FP2 on a wet track that was drying fast, both qualifying sessions were damp, and both races started dry but ended wet.
“I know there is still a lot more work to do, and I am not completely satisfied with how this weekend went. We had an average qualifying result in which we had good potential, but I couldn’t piece it together, and a moment in Race 1 while pushing in the wet whilst on slicks in the final laps cost me a podium finish and valuable points in the championship.
“Nonetheless, I still gained great experience and many new positive learnings to take away from the weekend.”
As is the case for compatriot Liam Lawson in Super Formula, the local drivers are tough competition. Sceats, however, says he’s quickly come to terms with that and has found he is able to match, or even top them, on pace.
“During the short periods of time at the beginning of the races when the track was completely dry, we had good car speed and were at times the fastest on track,” he says. “I am happy to have been closer in time to the local drivers.
“Being able to compare the data of the first time I was racing in Japan at Fuji in Round 1 in April, compared to this time around is only positive, with steps forward clearly being made with not only my driving techniques but the car balance progress which we have worked hard on with the team.”
Sceats finished fourth in the season-opening race at Fuji in April, did not finish Race 2, and finished fifth in Race 3
The event, run in support of the World Endurance Championship’s 6 Hours of Fuji, boasted the largest grid of the season and was run over one day. This meant Sceats was able to return on Sunday as a spectator to take in the action, including getting to meet a world-champion New Zealander.
“It was also an amazing experience to be able to watch the 6 Hours of Fuji,” he adds. “It felt good to see a familiar face over in Japan as we caught up with M2 Competition team boss, Flex, and was fortunate to have met and had a chat with Brendon Hartley.”
The final round of the Formula Regional Japanese Championship takes place on 25-26 November at Sportsland Sugo. Sceats will return back to New Zealand in the interim and is set to get back on track for some home testing.
“I am lucky to have some opportunities in NZ before then to keep me busy in the seat,” he says. “Over the next couple of months, I am starting to prepare for the upcoming CTFROC season that starts in January 2024. I am looking forward to a couple of test days with Toyota Gazoo Racing NZ in the FT-60 and one with the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy back in the FT-50 car.
“Being able to drive on the New Zealand circuits again with everything I have learned from this campaign over in Japan, it will be interesting to be able to compare to the prep I did before the 2023 CTFROC season.”
