The Japanese F3 Championship kicked off the 2014 season again at Suzuka Circuit. Mitsunori Takaboshi of B-MAX Racing Team with NDDP took advantage of two attacks to secure pole on Saturday for the first race with a record time of 1:51.877. All the other drivers each were only able to do a single attack in the qualifying that was red-flagged with less than 2 minutes left.
“I am grateful that the team sent me first in the attacking order. I’m confident in my pace for the race,” said the B-Max driver. The 2013 FCJ and F4 series champion and a rookie of Japanese F3 championship, Kenta Yamashita qualified second ahead of PETRONAS TEAM TOM’S team mate Takamoto Katsuta. Placing 9th overall Rintaro Kubo (TOCHIGI Le Beausset Motorsports) topped the times in F3-N class, followed by Shohei Yuzawa (KCMG). Hiroshi Koizumi was in good condition in the practice session but settled for 4th place after he went off the track in the closing stages.

Four hours later the starting grid for the first race was filled with 15 cars to complete a total of 12 laps. With some rookies and some restructured teams the power relationships for 2014 were still unknown – it was in a highly charged and exciting atmosphere of the season opener when the lights went on one by one, and then out.
Takaboshi got a good start from pole while Yamashita, who was not good at starting, got a tardy start and allowed not only Katsuta but also Shota Kiyohara of TODA RACING to pass. Takaboshi and Katsuta were already pulling away as Yamashita passed Kiyohara to get back to third at chicane on the opening lap.
Despite having set the fastest lap of 1:53.273 on lap 2 not only was Takaboshi unable to build a comfortable lead over Katsutata, but he was slower than Yamashita before the three engaged in a battle for the top slot. Overtaking Katsuta from the outside line through the 130R turn on lap 8 to recover the 2nd  Yamashita was now closing up Takaboshi. Katsuta soon faced furious catch-up by 6th qualifier Nobuharu Matsushita (HFDP RACING), who had made one place in his good start and then overtaken Kiyohara to 4th on lap 3.
With the last 3 laps to go the lead two were running tail-to-nose, and on the closing lap Takaboshi finally was hunted down and overtaken from the outside by Yamashita in the run down to turn 2, allowing Yamashita to make a brilliant debut in the series.
“I lost several places in the start - I am not good at starting,” said Yamashita. “But the car was well balanced and I was able to make the tyres last till the end. This left room for me to overtake at the last moment. I must nail the start tomorrow to make good use of my pole position.” The dogfight between Katsuta and Matsushita continued until Katsuta managed to fend off Matsushita just by 4 tenths to finish 3rd behind Takaboshi.

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