2015.03.23

[Maker test at Fuji - Day 1] CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R on top! PRIUS fastest in GT300

With only less than two weeks to the season opener, the auto-makers’ test scheduled for two days has started at Fuji Speedway on March 23rd. 2-hour sessions starting from 10AM and 2PM were conducted today, the Day 1, and the teams participating in the test were energetically executing their testing menu.

 

 

Teams concentrated on testing tires for Round 2 in the morning

With blue sky peeking between the clouds from early morning, the session started out under a complete dry condition.

In addition to the selection and confirmation of tires for the Round 2 scheduled in May, a final check of the less-drag bodywork/aerodynamics parts which will be used at the Fuji rounds in May and August is also included in the testing menu of the GT500 class cars. Of course, some teams were still battling with some “homework” which they couldn’t complete at the official test conducted a week ago at Okayama International Circuit, nevertheless, no teams seemed to be doing a qualifying-like attack lap.

Early part of the session saw a few teams staying in the pit due to some problem, but all cars were out on the track running smoothly accumulating laps in the mid-stage and beyond. In the morning session, the top time was marked by No.37 KeePer TOM'S RC F (Andrea Caldarelli / Ryo Hirakawa) with 1 min 28.981 sec. The lap time was impressive enough with being just a little short of the track’s record time marked at the Round 2 of last year (1 min 28.799 sec), but Chikara Tojyo, an engineer of TOM’S, seemed very dry in his comment, “Temperature was low, so this is about what you get.”

 

 

Two suspensions in the afternoon result in insufficient race simulation

After the “Open Pit,” which drew a huge crowd of fans that made it difficult to imagine it was a weekday, the Session 2 started from 2PM. Track remained complete dry. It seemed that the teams were putting more focus than in the morning on checking the race setting and the life of tires, but the teams in upswing were marking some impressive lap times. No.12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (Hironobu Yasuda / Joao Paulo de Oliveira) driven by de Oliveira, whom concern grew over the injury he suffered on his finger during the off-season, showed superb driving and recorded a lap time in the 1 min 28 sec-mark that overwhelmed the rivals. Nonetheless, the technical director of TEAM IMPUL Shinichiro Takahashi was showing a glum face, “It’s not bad in terms of setting, but we couldn’t quite do a long-run.” The two red flags shown in the latter half of the session hindered many teams from doing a long-run test simulating a race situation.

Top time marked in the afternoon by No.12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R became the overall top time of Day 1.

 

 

 

 

TOYOTA PRIUS apr GT at the overall top of GT300 with its time from the morning session

 

 

Testing the tires for the Round 2 in May was a significant part of the testing menu for the GT300 class as well. But the gaps in lap times between the cars were very small and the test added more expectation for the real battle.

In specific, the lap time of 1 min 37.408 sec marked by No.31 TOYOTA PRIUS apr GT (Koki Saga / Yuichi Nakayama / Kota Sasaki) during the morning session became the overall top time of the day. However, what noteworthy was that No.77 KSF Direction Ferrari 458 (Naoki Yokomizo / Kyosuke Mineo / Taiyo Iida) marked the top time of the afternoon session despite the Team Representative Akira Mizutani saying modestly “We are still developing.” It seemed that the Ferrari has finally started to show its real potential.

 

 

 

The car was good. It felt good and the balance was not bad either. That’s why I was able to get a good lap time, but, for me in a way, it was not a best attack. To be honest, it was my first drive this year and I paid extra attention on my injured hand while I drove. In addition, since we didn’t do a long-run, we haven’t been able to check the life of tires, and I don’t know how many laps I can go with the injured hand. No doubt about how the car is coming up well though.

 

Although it’s a top time, I can’t sit back and relax because I don’t know the testing menu of other teams. But it was a good rehearsal for the qualifying at Okayama. I have driven this car a few times last year, but the car has evolved compared with those times and the tires are different too, so I still have not reached the point where I can give evaluation yet. I’m still thinking while I’m driving like how can I get grip out the tires and so on. Anyways, since I’m getting used to the car a little by little, I would want to go step by step from here so I can drive in a way to make tires last longer.

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