2024.11.03

Tosei Moriyama debriefs his challenge on FIA MOTORSPORT GAMES F4 race.

　Tosei Moriyama (No.62 HELM MOTORSPORTS), who is competing in the FIA-F4 Championship for the 2024 season, spoke to debrief about his participation in the FIA MOTORSPORT GAMES that was held at Circuit Ricardo Tormo and surroundings in Valencia, Spain, from October 23rd to 27th. Details of Moriyama's challenge is reported in the page linked below.

■Tosei Moriyama race week report from Valencia, Spain
https://supergt.net/news/single/23768

 

 

 

 

　Moriyama made appearance along with Yuya Hiraki, the manager of HELM MOTORSPORTS, and GTA President & CEO Masaaki Bandoh prior to GTA's regular press conference held on the race day of Round 8 Motegi. "I'm very unsatisfied with my result, sixth place. I learned that I still need to work hard in Japan to improve my level and also realized that I want to race in Europe more". Moriyama opened his debrief by revealing his honest feelings and looked back on his "short-term mission".
　Team manager Hiraki shared his view on the challenge, "The race format was totally different from what we are familiar with, and it was difficult to adjust because there wasn't much time to practice, but the driver's effort paid off and we got sixth place. I believe the result is something to be proud of and confident about. I think we showed the world how high the level of Japan is". Hiraki also spoke about his experience in an environment that was different from what he is used to, "Judgments made by FIA were different (from the F4 race in Japan) and it was inspiring that the driver's feeling was respected in the judgment".

　Different car, engine, tire, race schedule, etc., from the championship in Japan. Everything was literally a "new challenge" to Moriyama. Drivers from Europe were familiar with the race car and also having an experience driving on the circuit, so it was a fight against drivers with much richer experience, but the Japanese driver fought strongly, marking the eighth fastest lap time in the qualifying held under a wet condition, getting better positions in subsequent sessions, and then receiving the checkered flag at sixth in the race.

 

 

 

 

　President & CEO Bandoh also traveled along to the international event that was held in a short interval between Autopolis and Motegi rounds. "We will share (with FIA) the good part (of Japan's FIA-F4) and what can be learned. It is not good to be 'F4 with Galapagos syndrome' isolated in Japan. Some parts of it have to evolve. Japan also has to take in good parts and go to the next level. We cannot conclude (this challenge) by just saying we were 'a frog in the well'". Bandoh, in support of Hiraki's comment, described a need of building a solid structure so that the initiative can be taken up as an activity of Team Japan instead of participants bearing the burden in order to continue having participants from Japan in the future. He emphasized the importance of building an environment where young drivers who have ambition to compete in overseas motorsports world can develop skills needed to produce comparable outcome at the FIA MOTORSPORT GAMES, which would also expand the opportunities for such young drivers.

 

 

 

 

 

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