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«It's been very interesting to see that
both drivers agreed on the same
solutions. We submitted them the same
testing program, and their answers and
feedback were very similar. In addition
to that, the engine builders were able to
test specific parameters regarding their
engines, like the turbo lag, and
evaluate their impact on the car's
driveability.
The design is surely aggressive: did
the japanese like it?
«The insiders loved it. How the car looks
is something we invested a lot of time
in, working together with the promoters
so we could have a good compromise
between design, aero performance and
car packaging».
What about the driver feedback?
Former F.1 driver Tonio Liuzzi will
be in the championship this season.
Did he say something in particular?
What are the main skills required to
take full advantage of this cars'
potential?
«This season there will be several driver
with past F.1 experiences like Nakajima,
Liuzzi and Karthikeyan who race there,
and Rossiter who has been ha test
driver for Honda. Then there are
extremely experienced drivers on the
prototypes as Lotterer and Duval, who
are currently Audi drivers. All of them
were very positive regarding the car's
handling. In particular they were
surprised by the cornering ability».
Can you tell usmore about the
Japanese point of view in terms of
motorsports? Is there the same
attention in creating championships
with sustainable costs and fuel
consumption, and to use engines closer
to the actual production?
«Japan has a great tradition in auto
racing but as well as the rest of the
world, they are suffering from the
effects of the crisis. Their motorsports
panorama has two major players,
SuperGT and Super Formula, and both
categories benefit from a strong
contribution coming from Honda,
Toyota and Nissan, plus the tire
manufacturers. The developmental
series like F.3 are suffering more
because they don't get the same kind of
support so the drivers have to find the
budget. Said this, the japanese are very
careful to the cost reduction and to
the sustainability of the championships,
although they do not give up on
technical development. On this aspect,
they have a different approach
compared to Europe, where a lot of
single-make championships were
successful over the last 10 year,
with no chances of upgrading the cars
except for the manufacturer-allowed
adjustments. The Japanese see
motorsports as a proving ground to
develop and experiment new
technologies. Even though the
SuperFormula championship
features a spec chassis, there are
several areas of the cars left "free" for
the teams to develop».
What are the next steps you will
take on-track and at the factory?
«The next race will be at Fuji the 18th
of may, we are delivering the last set of
spare parts so they will have a good
stock of components available in the
first few races».
Last but not least, how do you
expect the 2014 season to be?
«Since the testing opportunities
are strictly limited, as well as the
running time during the weekend,
I expect the most experienced drivers
to make the difference. There are also
team with a great know-how of the
tracks and of the Bridgestone tires
and with well-sorted work groups.
This will play a major role in the
set-up development. I expect a tight
championship between those who'll be
the first to know how to set-up their
cars. It will be a little tougher for
rookies to make their way up front
for the first season».
Stefano Semeraro
>Suzuka: Super Formula Round 1 Highlights
