The second Fuji round of the Super Formula season turned into a 41-lap spectacle of contact, strategy twists, and shifting fortunes. Kakunoshin Ohta entered the Sunday race with a realistic shot at clinching the title early, needing only to finish ahead of Saturday winner Igor Fraga. Instead, a series of incidents and bold overtakes dismantled that scenario, while Ayumu Iwasa finally broke his winless streak.
Race dynamics and the decisive moments
From the start, the order seemed favorable for Ohta. Pole-sitter Fraga was overtaken by Iwasa on lap 1, and Ohta slipped past Nakajima Racing’s driver for second place by lap 4. A brief safety-car period – prompted by Yuto Nomura stopping after contact with Toshiki Oyu – froze the grid, but the real drama began with the compulsory pit window. Ohta pitted on lap 17, only to be undercut by Oyu, who stopped a lap earlier.
At Turn 3, Ohta and Oyu tangled, sending Oyu spinning. Ohta escaped damage, but the time loss allowed Fraga, who had pitted a lap later, to execute an overcut and reclaim the lead. Determined to retake the advantage, Ohta launched an aggressive attempt at Turn 10, ran wide, and later tried a daring move at Turn 15. The latter effort resulted in side-by-side contact with Fraga, eliminating Ohta and leaving the Brazilian with pronounced left-hand damage.
Chain-reaction incidents and the safety-car saga
The collision sparked another safety-car phase. As the field descended into the pit lane, Luke Browning of Rookie Racing was turned sideways, creating a blockage. Nirei Fukuzumi of Dandelion Racing found his path blocked by Browning, slowed, and was then rear-ended by Syun Koide. The impact spun Koide’s Kondo Racing car, which wedged between Fukuzumi and Koide, prompting a further pile-up that involved Rikuto Kobayashi. The extended safety-car period cleared the mess before racing resumed on lap 25.
When green flag waved again, Iwasa led, followed by Nobuharu Matsushita and Zak O’Sullivan. Yet the race was interrupted yet again when Sho Tsuboi suffered a suspected brake failure and collided with Kenta Yamashita. The final restart on lap 32 saw Iwasa spring a perfect launch, securing his first win of the season and ending a difficult title defence.
Podium battles and championship implications
O’Sullivan, who started third, had slipped to fifth after the early chaos but fought back fiercely. Within five laps he passed both Tadasuke Makino and Oyu, and later, on the final lap at Turn 13, nudged Matsushita wide to claim second place without penalty. Matsushita completed the podium for Delightworks Racing, while Oyu finished fourth and Sacha Fenestraz (TOM’S) moved Makino down to fifth.
The top ten rounded out with Tomoki Nojiri (Team Mugen), Charlie Wurz (Team Goh), Giuliano Alesi (KCMG) – who earned his first points of the year – and Fukuzumi. Iwasa’s victory closed the gap to Ohta, leaving a 33.5-point deficit with 46 points available at Suzuka, the series finale.
Ohta’s chance to seal the championship early evaporated after the Sunday race. He now must finish ahead of Iwasa at Suzuka while keeping Fraga and Fukuzumi at bay to protect his lead. The weekend also highlighted the growing gap between Honda-powered and Toyota-powered cars, a factor amplified by Fuji’s 1.475 km straight, where straight-line speed proved decisive.
