The winner of the Forma car race celebrates his victory on top of the car.
Sascha Fenestraz, Kondo Racing’s driver and Hype Drinks ambassador, secured his maiden 2022 Japanese Super Formula Championship win in race 5. It was the team’s first win since 2019!
The race happened at Sportsland SUGO in Miyagi Prefecture on June 19, with temperatures reaching 30°C in the air and 43°C on the track.
Sascha started the race in 2nd position.
Sascha swiftly overtook pole-sitter Tomoki Nojiri in the first corner with a stellar start. However, the safety car was deployed on lap 8 due to a crashAt lap 10, the top four cars made their mandatory pit stops for tire changes when the window opened.
Sascha Fenestraz stated: “There were almost 15 cars that pitted, and others stayed out… Post-pit, I encountered race-long traffic due to drivers who skipped the safety car pit stops, making the race challenging.Also, racing almost 42 laps with the same tyres was challenging”.
Formula cars on the formation lap behind the safety car.
Despite this, Sascha Fenestraz led the race with Toshiki Oyu and Tomoki Nojiri close behind, both strong competitors.
Sascha said, “My strategy for the remaining laps was just to stay calm and save my tyres. I anticipated the front-runners would pit for tire changes, so timing was crucial to regain the lead, which ultimately paid off.”
The race, which ended up being a one-hour race, was completed after 50 laps. Sascha Fenestraz secured his season’s first victory, followed by Toshiki Oyu in second and Tomoki Nojiri on the podium.
Before ending our talk Sascha expressed
“It was crazy… It was really crazy! (winning in the Super Formula). When I came to Japan in 2020, It was challenging due to the new circumstances. I struggled a lot. So now, seeing myself winning this race and helping my team bounce back feels incredible. It has been an amazing ride so far. Really Incredible!”
The next race, the 6th of the Japanese Super Formula Championship this year, will take place at Fuji Speedway, Shizuoka Prefecture, from July 16 to 17.. We congratulate our brand ambassador and wish him the best of luck in his upcoming races.We are so proud to have champions and hard-working people as part of our team.
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The winning driver poses with his teammate in front of his blue formula car, wearing white racing overalls.