Fraga leads Suzuka rookie test as F1's Bearman impresses in Super Formula debut
Igor Fraga dominated the final day of Super Formula's three-day winter test at Suzuka Circuit, leading all rookie sessions with his best time of 1m36.077s in the No. 64 Nakajima Racing Dallara/Honda.
F1 car racing on track
The test day featured 12 rookie drivers across two 90-minute sessions. Seita Nonaka, from Toyota's racing academy, secured the second-fastest time of 1m36.383s in the KCMG Toyota.
Haas F1's newest driver, Oliver Bearman, impressed in his first Suzuka experience, setting the third-fastest time of 1m36.940s in the KCMG Toyota after completing 43 laps. This experience will prove valuable when he returns for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix in April.
Notable performances included:
- Syun Koide: Third quickest in afternoon (B-Max Racing Honda)
- Mitsunori Takaboshi: Fourth overall (Team Impul Toyota)
- British drivers Zak O'Sullivan and James Hedley: Tested for Kondo Racing
- Oliver Rasmussen: Represented Team Impul
The day saw several incidents:
- Riki Okusa crashed at 200R on his out lap
- O'Sullivan and Hedley had recoverable offs at Degner and Spoon curves
- Yuui Tsutsumi hit barriers at S-Curves but emerged unhurt
The 2025 Super Formula Championship kicks off with two rounds at Suzuka on March 8-9, marking the start of a 12-round season.
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