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Author: | Lucasjeha [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:03 am ] |
Post subject: | 2014 Super Formula |
2014 SUPER FORMULA The 2014 Super Formula season features a brand new car. After five seasons running with the old Swift models, the series is now supplied by Dallara. The targets of the new chassi supplier was to improve the performance of the cars and set new lap time records in all the tracks of the series. The chassi is a mix of a special identity design, made specially for the series and the current standard of front and rear wings. There are several different opinions regarding the change, the only knowed fact is that the cars indeed improved they performance, but the chassi isn't the only new feature in this season. As well as F1, Super Formula also changes it's engines to a turbo-charged engine. They are a 4 cylinder, 2.0l engine and there are two engine suppliers in the series, the traditional rivalry, Honda and Toyota. Following the chassi and engine changes, the series features a brand new steering-wheel, everything is set for a new and exciting era in the mainly open-wheel series in Japan. Dallara has build a total of 20 chassis and there are already 19 entries for the season, a very good number for the first year of a new chassi. In the last time the series featured a chassi change, back in 2009, the first round of the year had only 13 cars on track, that's already a great improvement for the series. The heavyweights are still there and ready for the new challenge. The drivers had a very promising feel of the new cars during the Winter Tests at Suzuka and Fuji. In both tracks, the previous track records were broken, in Suzuka, Loic Duval set the impressive time of 1:36.475 and at Fuji, Lotterer was only 3s away from the 2008 F1 record at the same track, setting his lap time in 1:21.554. There are three rookies in 2014, one of them, a former F1 driver, the italian Vitantonio Liuzzi. Not a rookie, but a long time comeback, Narain Karthikeyan make it back to the series, where he run for just one season, more than a decade ago, in 2001. So now, let's know all the teams and drivers, one by one, with photos and numbers! Teams and Drivers Team Mugen - Honda #01 Naoki Yamamoto Japan, 25 Years old Races: 30 Points: 66,5 Wins: 1 Poles: 3 Titles: 1 (2013) Debut: Suzuka 2010, Nakajima Racing #02 Yuhki Nakayama Japan, 26 Years old Races: 9 Points: 1 Wins: 0 Poles: 0 Titles: 0 Debut: Fuji 2012, HP Real Racing The official Mugen team in the series, has it's hopes, once again in their first driver, Naoki Yamamoto. The japanese comes in 2014 in the spotlight, after winning the 2013 season and hopes to show the team strenght again, although, the current problems in the Honda engines, might have a very bad consequence for his title hopes if the japanese manufacturer doesn't find the issues soon. Yuhki Nakayama completes the team, after a year with HP Real Racing. Kondo Racing - Toyota #03 James Rossiter Great Britain, 30 Years old Races: 3 Points: 2,5 Wins: 0 Poles: 0 Titles: 0 Debut: Suzuka 2013, Petronas Team TOM'S The traditional Kondo Racing, after running for three years in a row with the japanese driver, Hironobu Yasuda, now bets in a british driver for the 2014 season. James Rossiter made his debut in the series in 2013, replacing Andre Lotterer in the round the german were involved with the WEC. The results weren't the best, but they were enough to guarantee a seat in the 2014 season. The last time Kondo Racing had a proper good season was in 2008, when the team still had João Paulo de Oliveira as it's main driver. Rossiter has the hard mission to guide the team back to the front positions. Team LeMans - Toyota #07 Ryo Hirakawa Japan, 20 Years old Races: 7 Points: 9 Wins: 0 Poles: 0 Titles: 0 Debut: Suzuka 2013, Team LeMans #08 Loic Duval France, 31 Years old Races: 57 Points: 275,5 Wins: 11 Poles: 8 Titles: 1 (2009) Debut: Fuji 2006, PIAA Nakajima Another very traditional team that's trying to rescue it's best days. Team LeMans was responsible for Satoshi's Motoyama first title in Formula Nippon, back in 1998 and now have on the frenchman Loic Duval, their best hopes to win a title again after a decade and a half. Loic Duval won his first and only title in the series, back in 2009 for Nakajima Racing. Loic Duval's teammate is the young a very talented japanese, Ryo Hirakawa, who won the Japanese F3 in 2012 with a large and incredible difference for the other drivers, in one of the most amazing dominances of a single driver in the history of the series. In Super Formula Hirakawa had a learning year in 2013, but ended the season setting the fastest lap in both Suzuka races in the last round. The hopes are high and 2014 may see very good performances of the japanese driver. HP Real Racing - Honda #10 Koudai Tsukakoshi Japan, 27 Years old Races: 38 Points: 101,5 Wins: 1 Poles: 2 Titles: 0 Debut: Fuji 2009, HFDP Racing #11 Vitantonio Liuzzi Italy, 33 Years old Rookie Since it's debut in the series, back in 2011, Real Racing was never able to make a real impact. In 2013, the team took Koudai Tsukakoshi from DoCoMo Dandelion, after a very good season were the japanese finished 2nd in the championship, although, not even Tsukakoshi could make a difference for the team. In 2014, Real Racing still bets on Tsukakoshi and brings a well knowed face of F1 to try an improvement for the team. Vitantonio Liuzzi comes to the series with a lot of expectations, but the Honda problems in the Winter Tests were a cold shower on his hopes for the first season in Super Formula, anyway, the way Liuzzi will adjust to the series is something very interesting to be followed in 2014. KCMG - Toyota #18 Yuichi Nakayama Japan, 22 Years old Rookie KCMG comes for it's 5th season in the series and counts with the young japanese driver, Yuichi Nakayama. We've previsouly went into the dominance set by Hirakawa in 2012, but that was nothing compared to what Nakayama did in 2013. In 13 races, the very talented japanese driver won 11 and finished 2nd in other two. A completelly new record setting to the history of Japanese F3. The driver didn't even took part of the last two races of the season, following so much strenght showed all over the season. Debuting in a team like KCMG, that doesn't have the same "know how" of the heavyweights isn't the best for a rookie, so we can't expect much from Nakayama in his first season, but it's certain that after such a great performance in F3, people will be counting the days to watch the driver back in action. Team Impul - Toyota #19 João Paulo de Oliveira Brazil, 32 Years old Races: 51 Points: 180 Wins: 5 Poles: 7 Titles: 1 (2010) Debut: Suzuka 2006, M&O 5Zigen #20 Narain Karthikeyan India, 37 Years old Races: 10 Points: 2 Wins: 0 Poles: 0 Titles: 0 Debut: Suzuka 2001, excite Impul The most successful team in the series and one of the most successful team in Japanese Motorsports in general, Team Impul, from the japanese legend, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, comes in 2014 trusting again in the talent of the brazilian, João Paulo de Oliveira, the man who took the team to it's last title in the series, back in 2010. Together with Oliveira, a long time comeback, Narain Karthikeyan, who drove for the same Impul in 2001, returns to the series after more than a decade away. In the first tests, the indian driver has proved to have quickly adjusted to the new car, as well as Oliveira and we can expect Team Impul, once again, fighting for the first places. Nakajima Racing - Honda #31 Daisuke Nakajima Japan, 25 Years old Races: 22 Points: 8 Wins: 0 Poles: 0 Titles: 0 Debut: Suzuka 2011, Nakajima Racing #32 Takashi Kogure Japan, 33 Years old Races: 95 Points: 238,5 Wins: 7 Poles: 15 Titles: 0 Debut: Suzuka 2003, PIAA Nakajima For the 4th season in a row, Nakajima Racing repeats the couple of drivers. Daisuke Nakajima, the younger son of the veteran Satoru Nakajima never showed a real good performance, but supported by his father starts another season, trying to prove himself worth of the place in the traditional team. In the other hand, with Takashi Kogure the team have the most experienced driver of the grid and a long time member of the team. Kogure will hit the mark of 100 races during the 2014 season, a fantastic achievement for the talented driver, who were many times close to fight for a title, but never really won it. This is another chance for Kogure, who's loved by the japanese supporters for his driving style and good talent. Petronas Team TOM'S - Toyota #36 Andre Lotterer Germany, 32 Years old Races: 91 Points: 401,5 Wins: 18 Poles: 5 Titles: 1 (2011) Debut: Suzuka 2003, PIAA Nakajima #37 Kazuki Nakajima Japan, 29 Years old Races: 22 Points: 112 Wins: 5 Poles: 2 Titles: 1 (2012) Debut: Suzuka 2011, Petronas Team TOM'S TOM'S is without any doubt the most successful team of the last years in Super Formula. With 2 titles in the last 3 seasons, the team saw Lotterer finish 2nd in 2010 and 2013, with Nakajima finishing 2nd in 2011. The incredible mark shows the strenght of this team, that takes the series very seriously and does an amazing work. For the 4th season in a row, Andre Lotterer and Kazuki Nakajima are the drivers who will for sure fight for the title. Lotterer is the man with the better numbers among all drivers in the grid and would probably have won the title in 2013 if it wasn't by the races he missed while driving for the WEC. In 2014, Lotterer is avid to add another title to his collection and Nakajima to show again the great performance he did, since his very first race in the series. P. Mu Cerumo-Inging - Toyota #38 Hiroaki Ishiura Japan, 32 Years old Races: 34 Points: 72 Wins: 0 Poles: 0 Titles: 0 Debut: Fuji 2008, Team LeMans #39 Yuji Kunimoto Japan, 23 Years old Races: 22 Points: 18,5 Wins: 0 Poles: 0 Titles: 0 Debut: Suzuka 2011, Project μ/Cerumo-Inging Cerumo-Inging comes for 2014, betting in the return of a well knowed face of the series, Hiroaki Ishiura, who has been out in the last two seasons and in the house pride, Yuji Kunimoto, who has drove every single race of his career in the series for the Cerumo-Inging. Ishiura appeared very well for Team LeMans, but after a good start in the series, the driver never really made it to the expectations. Yuji Kunimoto is still young and have another chance to improve his performance. DoCoMo Dandelion - Honda #40 Tomoki Nojiri Japan, 24 Years old Rookie #41 Hideki Mutoh Japan, 31 Years old Races: 19 Points: 1 Wins: 0 Poles: 0 Titles: 0 Debut: Fuji 2006, PIAA Nakajima DoCoMo Dandelion has the most inexperienced couple of the season. While Tomoki Nojiri is a rookie coming from Japanese F3, Hideki Mutoh was out of the series for a long time, until his return in 2012 for Real Racing, when he did only two races. In 2013, Mutoh run the whole season at Real Racing, but still, unable to score a single point. For such a traditional team like Dandelion, with a new chassi and the current engine problems, the lack of experience from the drivers may have a bad impact, although, Nojiri has did well in the Winter Tests taking in count the bad problems with the Honda engines. Tochigi Le Beausset - Toyota #62 Koki Saga Japan, 30 Years old Races: 22 Points: 0 Wins: 0 Poles: 0 Titles: 0 Debut: Suzuka 2011, Le Beausset Created to bring Koki Saga to the series, Le Beausset comes for it's 4th season with only one car, the Koki Saga car. The japanese driver who's son of an important member of Toyota never showed a good performance, in 22 races, not a single point achieved. With the new car and the current problems with the Honda engines, that's probably the best chance for Koki Saga to finally score his first points in the series. 2014 CALENDAR Round 01 - Suzuka - April 12, 13th Round 02 - Fuji - May 17, 18th Round 03 - Fuji - July 12, 13th Round 04 - Motegi - August 23, 24th Round 05 - Autopolis - September 13, 14th Round 06 - Sugo - Septermber 27, 28th Round 07 - Suzuka - November 8, 9th 2013 Drivers Standings 1 - Naoki Yamamoto - 37 Pts 2 - Andre Lotterer - 37 Pts 3 - Loic Duval - 31 Pts 4 - Kazuki Nakajima - 24 Pts 5 - João Paulo de Oliveira - 19 Pts 6 - Tsugio Matsuda - 18,5 Pts 7 - Takuya Izawa - 15 Pts 8 - Takashi Kogure - 15 Pts 9 - Kohei Hirate - 11 Pts 10 - Yuji Kunimoto - 10 Pts 11 - Ryo Hirakawa - 9 Pts 12 - Daisuke Nakajima - 6 Pts 13 - Andrea Caldarelli - 4 Pts 14 - Hironobu Yasuda - 3,5 Pts 15 - Koudai Tsukakoshi - 3 Pts 16 - James Rossiter - 2,5 Pts 17 - Yuhki Nakayama - 1 Pt 18 - Takuma Sato - 0,5 Pts 19 - Koki Saga - 0 Pts 20 - Hideki Mutoh - 0 Pts 21 - Richard Bradley - 0 Pts 22 - Takashi Kobayashi - 0 Pts 2013 Teams Standings 1 - Petronas Team TOM'S - 58,5 Pts 2 - Team LeMans - 42 Pts 3 - Team Impul - 37,5 Pts 4 - Team Mugen - 32,5 Pts 5 - Cerumo-Inging - 21 Pts 6 - Nakajima Racing - 21 Pts 7 - DoCoMo Dandelion - 14 Pts 8 - HP Real Racing - 4 Pts 9 - Kondo Racing - 3,5 Pts 10 - Tochigi Le Beausset - 0 Pts 11 - KCMG - 0 Pts |
Author: | Fish88 [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:21 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Wow that new car looks absolutly amazing. Great post |
Author: | kals [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:03 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Agreed. Love the look of the new car. Wish their was more coverage of this series. |
Author: | Woodski [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:30 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
The old car looked so much better. :[ |
Author: | ptclaus98 [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 6:53 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
This is one of my favorite series in the world. Would love some English Language coverage of it. Really nice grid, too. |
Author: | Cheeveer [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:27 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Every year I wish I would follow this series more closely. It looks great. |
Author: | bate [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 12:48 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
I look forward to the race Suzuka |
Author: | gkmotorsport [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:46 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Is there any English-language coverage of this at all? The new car does look superb. |
Author: | Beezle [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:53 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Dallara builts so good looking cars... why in all hell did they fuck up the DW12?!? |
Author: | Lucasjeha [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:49 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
gkmotorsport wrote: Is there any English-language coverage of this at all? The new car does look superb. Unfortunately not, the series is only broadcasted in Japan, but I'll try to keep the thread updated with the most recent news and results |
Author: | Lucasjeha [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 3:48 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Here's some taste of the 2014 cars in action: |
Author: | Cheeveer [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:15 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Damn, this sounds too exciting. Japanese Indycar, kind of. Lucasjeha, do you follow Super GT this closely too? When does that series start? |
Author: | gkmotorsport [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:23 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Nice! |
Author: | Lucasjeha [ Tue Mar 25, 2014 5:42 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
dicksplaash wrote: Damn, this sounds too exciting. Japanese Indycar, kind of. Lucasjeha, do you follow Super GT this closely too? When does that series start? Not as close as I do with Super Formula, but I do. The Super GT season starts next April 6th at Okayama, there will be 8 rounds this season and there's a new track in the calendar, at Thailand. The race at Sepang was dropped for the first time in a long time. |
Author: | Lucasjeha [ Thu Apr 03, 2014 4:42 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Good news for who lives in Asia. Super Formula will be broadcasted this season at Indonesia and the broadcasting might expand to other asian countries in the future. |
Author: | Lucasjeha [ Wed Apr 09, 2014 7:07 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Tochigi Le Beausset released their livery for the 2014 season, it reminds a lot the 1996 Ligier livery: |
Author: | kals [ Wed Apr 09, 2014 7:36 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
That is an immense livery. |
Author: | ptclaus98 [ Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:39 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
Gaaaaaaah. I'm so ready. |
Author: | Lucasjeha [ Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:50 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
KCMG also presented their new livery: |
Author: | codename_47 [ Thu Apr 10, 2014 1:32 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: 2014 Super Formula |
As much as I think every open wheel series will be running dallaras only in 5 years or so's time, at least this proves they can design a sexy car when given a freer hand from the series who are running it. But why the fin on the back? I cant belive its for le mans style safety reasons so I'm assuming its for bigger sponsor logos? |
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