The long wait is finally over, and Ryo Hirakawa (TEAM IMPUL) made sure everyone knew it by topping both sessions on the opening day of the official Super Formula pre-season test at Fuji Speedway. After the earlier scheduled first test at Suzuka Circuit was delayed due to COVID-19, this two-day gathering in Shizuoka is the first proper running of the year, bringing together 11 teams and 20 drivers.
Following a freezing and wet setup day, Tuesday brought bright spring weather, though a strong tailwind from the final corner to Turn 1 left drivers wrestling with cold tires. It did not take long for the drama to begin. Just five minutes into the morning session, Tatiana Calderon (THREEBOND DRAGO CORSE) spun and stopped at the exit of the Dunlop Corner, bringing out the red flag. Shortly after the restart, Kamui Kobayashi (carrozzeria Team KCMG) suffered a crash at the exit of Turn 2, damaging his front wing and right rear suspension to trigger another stoppage.
Once the track went green again, the times began to tumble. Naoki Yamamoto (DANDELION RACING) broke into the 1:21 bracket with a 1:21.480, before Hirakawa unleashed a 1:21.342 in the dying moments of the session to snatch the top spot ahead of Tadasuke Makino (TCS NAKAJIMA RACING), Yamamoto, Tomoki Nojiri (MUGEN), and Kenta Yamashita (KONDO RACING). Sacha Fenestraz (KONDO RACING) impressed as the top rookie in seventh with a 1:21.696.
The afternoon session offered warmer conditions and a steadier rhythm. Hirakawa quickly picked up where he left off, dropping a 1:21.103 early on to eclipse his own morning benchmark. As the afternoon ticked down toward the final ten minutes, the field bolted on fresh rubber for a flurry of time-attack simulations. Rookie Toshiki Oyu (TCS NAKAJIMA RACING) hurled his machine into the 1:20s with a 1:20.713 to briefly seize the lead, only to be immediately usurped by Nirei Fukuzumi (DANDELION RACING) with a 1:20.694. Yamamoto slotted in with a 1:20.720, and Nojiri managed a 1:20.942.
Just as Fukuzumi looked poised to take the honors, Hirakawa struck again right before the checkered flag, beating Fukuzumi's time by a mere 0.02 seconds to sweep the day. Fukuzumi settled for second in the afternoon, with rookie Oyu starring in third. Behind them, Yamamoto took fourth, followed by Nojiri, Kazuki Nakajima (VANTELN TEAM TOM’S), Juri Vips (MUGEN), Makino, Yuhi Seki (TEAM IMPUL), and Fenestraz.
Testing continues tomorrow with adjusted running times: the first session runs from 10:00 to 12:10, and the afternoon action follows from 14:30 to 16:40, with favorable weather forecasted once more.
