June 22, 2019 Rd 9 Suportsland Sugo

Miyata clinches his third win with a comprehensive victory,
leading Tom’s 1-2

■Red-flagged qualifying after Yamaguchi’s crash

　The weather turned bad on Saturday at Suportsland Sugo, but the race started at 3:13 pm for 18 laps in the dry conditions, and it was Ritomo Miyata (in Corolla Chukyo Kuo TOM’S F317) who won the Rd 9 of Japanese Formula 3 championship with a dominant lights-to-flag victory, earning a bonus point for setting the fastest lap and leading Tom’s 1-2 as his team-mate Kazuto Kotaka (Corolla Chukyo Kuo TOM’S F317) finished second.

　Having started from fifth Sacha Fenestraz (B-Max Racing with motopark F3) secured third to retain his lead in the championship standings.

　In the qualifying that started at 10:15 am Tairoku Yamaguchi (Tairoku Racing #28 car) crashed on the run to the SP out corner 9 minutes into the session. Although most of the drivers had completed their first attacks when the red flag was thrown Fenestraz and Enaam Ahmed (B-Max Racing with motopark F3) didn’t even come out of the pits.

　As soon as the Yamaguchi’s car was removed and the session resumed at 10:34 am with 16 minutes remaining these two were the first to come out on track, and the other drivers proceeded with attacks with less than 10 minutes remaining.

　Only Miyata broke 13 secs to take pole position from Kotaka with a time of 1m12.604. Tying with Kotaka at 1m13.105 Charles Milesi (YTB by Carlin) qualified third ahead of Ahmed and Fenestraz.

■ Miyata dominates the race affected by SC from start to finish

　 It had rained hard late in the Super Formula’s qualifying, but had let up before the formation lap started at 3:05 pm in the fully dry track conditions.

　The pole-sitter Miyata took a holeshot into the first corner. Kotaka and Milesi kept each position at the start.

　Fenestraz got a good start to go around the outside of Ahmed towards the first corner, going side-by-side into turn two before making a pass up the inside out of turn three.

　Elsewhere, there were many battles unfolding. Sixth-starting Toshiki Oyu (TODA FIGHTEX) closed in on Ahmed at the Umanose, with a quickly charging Hiroki Otsu (ThreeBond F318) behind - who had made one position as Yoshiaki Katayama (YTB by Carlin) in seventh on the grid ran wide at turn one, dropping to 10th.

　Shunsuke Kohno (RS FINE K&N F318) and Ameya Vaidyanathan (B-Max Racing with motopark F3) also fought a close battle.

　The most exciting was a scrap over fifth. Oyu dived the inside of Ahmed into the first corner on lap two, only to fail to negotiate the turn, running wide. However, the Toda driver kept his cool and, as Ahmed slightly slowed down to avoid contact he took the opportunity to get ahead for fifth spot.

　Further back, the master class’s lead battle intensified. DRAGON (TEAM DRAGON F3) leapt into the inside of Yamaguchi at turn one on lap four and collided, going off the track and forcing the latter to spin. The B-Max with motopark driver suffered a damage on his right-hand rear suspension when the two collided again, and finally came to a halt on the gravel. Soon after the safety car was called Yamaguchi also parked up his car at the final turn.

　When the race restarted at the end of lap eight Miyata slowed down to get the hammer down at the Umanose and kept the lead from his team-mate. “I aimed at overtaking Ritomo, but the downforce was lost at through the SP bends, and was not able to put my machine right behind him on the straight,” said Kotaka.

　Fenestraz went around the outside of Milesi at turn one just after the restart, only for the latter to defend the third spot excellently by sweeping up the outside, but on the ensuing lap he dived the inside of his countryman to finally seize the third spot. Milesi pitted at the end of lap 10 and retired.

　With no major changes in positions in the closing stages Miyata dominated the race from start to finish, enjoying a huge advantage at the line. The Tom’s driver picked up the full points for setting the fastest lap on lap 15.

　Enduring a furious charge from Fenestraz late on Kotaka held on for second, his best career result. “The tyres were too heavily worn to get a jump on Kazuto,” said Fenestraz.

　Otsu, Oyu and Ahmed rounded out the top six.

　In the Master Class Katsuaki Kubota (Planex Sma Came F3) clinched his first victory of the season and lifted the trophy with his daughter on the podium with a big smile.