It was a weekend of highs and lows for KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) as Super Formula’s first event for 2014 commenced at Suzuka Circuit. The spotlight was on Japanese rookie Yuichi Nakayama as he came through a baptism of fire in the blue and white Toyota-powered Dallara SF14 on Suzuka’s renowned F1 circuit.
KCMG’s strong start to the weekend saw Nakayama log impressive lap times and completed Free Practice 1 in the Top 10 on Friday. The final grid for the 43-lap, 250km-long race was determined through a knock-out qualifying format, which comprised of three sessions. The Japanese driver made it through Q1 and Q2 and ultimately secured 13th position in his first Super Formula event.
Nakayama returned to Suzuka the following day and stormed to P1 after a superb performance in FP2. A massive feat for a Super Formula novice, the Japanese driver topped the final practice session with the fastest time of 1’39.820.
Unfortunately, a collision with Koudai Tsukakoshi during the opening lap of the race forced Nakayama into retirement after his SF14’s engine stalled. Despite the incident, the team is undeterred and will take the positives from the weekend to Super Formula’s second event at Fuji Speedway next month.
Yuichi Nakayama, KCMG Super Formula Driver: “The team gave me a strong car and we even managed to top FP2 on Sunday morning. It was quite disappointing that we were forced to retire early in the race. However, overall, it was a good Super Formula debut and I am happy with how the team and I performed together over the weekend. I cannot wait for the next race and we will definitely come back stronger in Fuji!”
Ryuji Doi, KCMG Japan General Manager: “We started the season in strong form and Yuichi has proven that he is a competitive driver in the SF14. He produced top results in his maiden outing and we are confident that he will progress further and deliver more in the following races ahead. It is a shame that we were not able to finish the race but the team is moving forward and will continue to work hard. Our focus now is to be well-prepared for the next event in Fuji and fight at the front.”
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