During Race 2 of the second round at Fuji, the fierce battle among the drivers created thirty minutes of non-stop action on the track. Let’s hear from the winners of this amazing race.
Nobuhiro Imada, Winner, Trofeo Pirelli AM: “Starting from 2nd on the grid, I approached Yudai Uchida at Turn 3 on the opening lap and we made light contact. After that, his pace did not go up and I was overtaken by two cars as a result of this contact. It was only on the third lap that I overtook these two cars and took the lead. From then on I continued to push and kept my concentration uninterrupted until the end. As a result, I was able to win the race with a lead of more than 20 seconds over the driver in second place. After the regrettable race in Suzuka, I am really pleased with two consecutive wins in Fuji. I could not achieve pole-to-finish this time because Yudai took pole position by two hundredths of a second in the qualifying session. From next round onwards, I will do my best to aim for pole-to-finish in every race”.
Kazuyuki Yamaguchi, Winner, Coppa Shell: “It was quite a tough race today due to the heat. Yesterday, after taking the checkered flag at the front, I was penalized for a false start, so I finished second. But I am very happy to win today. As I made a lot of changes for the set-up since yesterday, I was able to set good times. But the other drivers were also getting faster, so I couldn't let my guard down at all. During the race, the gap to the second-placed driver was less than a second, and if I made a mistake we could easily switch places. In the end, I managed it well and there was no contact with any of the drivers in the Coppa Shell class, which made it a good race for me. Thanks to my fellow competitors Motohiro Kotani and Kanji Yagura, I am able to do my best. The remaining races in the season will be tough as there are three circuits I have never raced in before. I will practise on the simulator before going to those races”.
Andrew Moon, Winner, Coppa Shell AM: “This is my first win of this season. I have not been racing for the last 2 years because of the pandemic so I forgot my skills and race techniques initially. But I quickly adapted once again and really enjoyed today’s race. I am very happy with the results and am quite satisfied with my overall lap times and pace. For the rest of the season, I will try to participate as much as possible, as I will be starting the Ferrari XX Programme. Anyway, I hope to join the final two races in the Middle East”.