Super Formula rookies: Why they came to Suzuka and what's next for them
We speak to the six international drivers in action at Suzuka on Friday to find out the background to their participation...
All photos: JRP
The final day of Super Formula’s three-day post-season test was reserved for rookie drivers, defined by JRP as drivers with fewer than four race starts under their belts. That includes some drivers with race experience, including Nissan SUPER GT man Mitsunori Takaboshi (Kondo Racing) and Riki Okusa (Nakajima Racing). But of the 12 drivers in action, six were non-Japanese, marking the highest number of foreign drivers sharing the track at the same time since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of these, like Super Formula Lights racers Igor Fraga and David Vidales, were relatively easy to predict (even if the teams they ended up driving for were somewhat less so). Others came as a total surprise. But will any of them drive in Super Formula full-time next season? Here’s the full lowdown on the ‘gaijin six’: