Team KCMG was unlucky to leave Suzuka empty handed in the second round of the 2021 Super Formula Championship after Yuji Kunimoto suffered from tyre issues and crashed while running in the points.
The 2016 series champion was thankfully uninjured after hitting the barriers at the high-speed 130R corner due to a tyre issue in an incident that ended his race, following a determined performance. Having started 13th, Kunimoto got off the line strongly and quickly moved into the top 10, with good work from the pit crew and a great out-lap pushing him even further up the order.
In just his second Super Formula race, Kazuto Kotaka once again showed promising pace but was unable to make it into the points, finishing in 16th.
The team now looks ahead to the next round at Autopolis on 15-16 May.
#18 YUJI KUNIMOTO
“I was disappointed not to make it through to Q3 on Saturday as I feel we had the pace to do so. I managed to get a good start and move into the points and then the team did a great job in the pits, calling me in at the right time and executing a brilliant stop. My out-lap was strong and we were set to score some solid points until the tyre issue and the accident. It’s a shame we were unable to score this weekend but we learnt a lot about the car and we’ll aim to bounce back at the next round.”
#7 KAZUTO KOTAKA
“I found it difficult in first practice on Saturday, so we changed the set-up for qualifying and the car felt much better. Unfortunately I made a mistake early in my lap, which meant I was unable to get out of Q1. In the race, the team did a great job in the pits, but I couldn’t make the progress I wanted to on track. This weekend was more vital experience and time in the car will only help me improve for future races.”
TSUGIO MATSUDA TEAM MANAGER
“It was a difficult weekend overall, but there are definitely some positives to take away for the upcoming events. We improved the balance of the car before qualifying, so it was a shame we could not advance to Q3. Nevertheless, Yuji got a brilliant start and made up several positions. The team in the pit lane did an amazing job again, they really helped both Yuji and Kazuto gain places in the pit stop phase of the race. It was unfortunate that Yuji suffered a tyre issue and a big crash at 130R while running in the points. He had a chance to finish in the top five, but the most important thing is that he was fine after the impact. Kotaka is still learning in the car, he’ll use this weekend as another step on his way to reaching his full potential in this series.”
For more information about KCMG please visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of all the latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow on Twitter and Instagram.
Who is KCMG?
KC Motorgroup Ltd (KCMG) is an international motorsport services group established in 2007 by Paul Ip. The group, with its headquarters located in Hong Kong, has operations reaching across the Asia Pacific region. KCMG operates closely with many partner companies and racing organisations around the world to provide unrivalled motorsport services, equipment, team management and quality distribution in the automotive industry. For more information on all of the team’s activities please visit www.kcmg.com.hk or email info@kcmg.com.hk.
