Called up to replace an unwell Tomoki Nojiri, Honda super-sub Hiroki Otsu had the ideal chance to prove his SFormula credentials at Autopolis. Sadly for him, it all went wrong - will he get another chance?
The red flags flew and Otsu had to start from the back of the grid - and that meant, barring a miracle, there was no way he was going to realistically challenge for an eye-catching result. In the end, from 22nd and last, he could only make his way as far as 14th by the chequered flag.
A similar thing happened with Ukyo Sasahara when he was called up by Dandelion to replace the unwell Tadasuke Makino in early 2021. It’s probably not a stretch to say that the podium finish Sasahara scored at Suzuka was what allowed him to land a drive at Mugen last year and score two wins, even if he ultimately left Honda at the end of the year.
“Qualifying was everything,” admitted Otsu speaking post-race to Motorsport.com. “I had been studying Nojiri’s on-boards from last year and his set-up, but the car behaved differently to last year and I wasn’t able to react to the temperature changing. “If I didn’t make the mistake in qualifying, and if I had made it to Q2 and started high up, I think there was a big chance to be on the podium, so I have big regrets.
It’s not clear whether Otsu will get another shot in Super Formula this year. Despite his illness, Nojiri was well enough to be at the track virtually all weekend and support the Mugen squad, so it seems likely he will be well enough to drive in the next round at Sugo next month.
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