How fears over Tremendous Method’s 2025 tweaks proved to be unfounded

‘There isn’t any tyre degradation!’ ‘There gained’t be any technique!’ ‘Nearly everyone will pit on lap one!’ Forward of final weekend’s Tremendous Method season opening double-header at Suzuka, there have been no scarcity of individuals within the paddock airing considerations about how the primary weekend of the brand new season would go.

That was due to two key modifications heading into 2025: the introduction of a brand new Yokohama spec tyre, that includes a better proportion of renewable supplies than earlier than (46% versus the 33% of the earlier tyre), and a few small however important modifications to the race format, which collection organiser JRP had made following the rise in double-header race weekends.

In a bid to try to make every race in double-header weekends extra distinct, the choice was made to chop the gap of the Saturday contest by 20km, which meant 4 laps at Suzuka. However, extra considerably, whereas the Saturday race retained the standard lap 10 pit window, the longer Sunday race was made utterly free for the primary time since 2019.

This meant that drivers may are available to finish their necessary tyre change on the opening tour. And a few did, however not as many as predicted – solely 5 out of twenty-two actually.

Certainly, each races at Suzuka have been very entertaining, vindicating the selections made by JRP that had attracted a wholesome diploma of scepticism within the build-up to the season.

On reflection, it will be truthful to say {that a} pre-season impacted by dangerous climate had clouded the image to a level. The only two-day check at Suzuka in February was impacted by snow, inflicting the second day to be known as off solely. And with the primary day beginning with a moist observe, significant dry working was primarily restricted to a single two-and-a-half hour session.

Nearly no driver had performed any consultant lengthy runs heading into final Friday’s opening follow session, with issues not helped by the partial resurfacing of Suzuka that had taken place over the winter, overlaying the ultimate chicane via to Flip 7 (previously Dunlop Nook).

The brand new asphalt featured some unwelcome bumps, which notably caught out no lesser driver than Sho Tsuboi in the course of the check, because the reigning champion uncharacteristically spun into the gravel on the finish of the morning session on the one and solely day of working. A number of drivers voiced considerations on the bumps, with two-time champion Tomoki Nojiri stating: “The form of the observe is identical, but it surely appears like a very totally different Suzuka.”

However the Honda-owned venue quickly swung into motion, and by the point the paddock reconvened at Suzuka on Thursday, barely two weeks on from the check, the areas the place the bumps had been at Turns 3 and seven had been re-resurfaced, and the drivers amazed at how clean the observe had turn into. “I used to be stunned at how rapidly they have been capable of repair it,” stated Naoki Yamamoto, the now retired three-time champion who has taken up a task with JRP.

Nonetheless, with the main focus of Friday follow for many drivers being very a lot loaded in the direction of brief runs, it wasn’t till Saturday’s opening race that drivers would uncover how the brand new tyres would behave over an extended stint. And the degradation, whereas lower than current seasons, was nonetheless important sufficient to trigger some drivers complications, resulting in some fierce battles.

There was nonetheless loads of strategic selection on supply and, whereas Ohta’s penalty took the sting out of the lead battle, there have been no scarcity of overtakes occurring up and down the sector

The irony was that, within the race that featured the lap 10 pit window, the whole subject pitted in unison as an incident involving Toshiki Oyu and Kazuto Kotaka had introduced out the security automotive simply previous to the window opening. A number of groups have been compelled into double-stacking their drivers, which served to take away Workforce Mugen’s Nojiri and Dandelion Racing’s Tadasuke Makino from the equation, as they’d been working behind respective team-mates Ayumu Iwasa and Kakunoshin Ohta.

With all aspect of technique eliminated, the race may have simply been a procession, however as a substitute Iwasa and Ohta delivered a thriller, with Ohta utilizing his superior tyre warm-up to get the higher of Iwasa as soon as the race resumed after which holding off the Crimson Bull junior driver by a scant 0.197 seconds, the fourth-closest end in collection historical past.

The leisure issue misplaced from the lesser degradation was arguably made up for by the truth that the brand new, stiffer rubber – one engineer described them to this author as ‘plastic tyres’ – was proving troublesome to rise up to temperature within the comparatively chilly situations at Suzuka.

Ohta beat Iwasa to take victory within the opener, however a misjudged transfer within the second race value him dearly

Picture by: Masahide Kamio

Nonetheless, sufficient groups have been involved by the degradation that pitting on lap one – which Makino had boldly predicted could be the selection of as much as 15 drivers after Friday follow – was a lot much less widespread than anticipated, as solely 5 drivers took the plunge, and greater than half of the sector went for what could possibly be known as a ‘lengthy’ technique of making an attempt to make use of a mix of the gas impact (the automotive getting lighter and lighter on decrease gas) and recent tyres to their benefit.

First and second locations went to Makino and Tsuboi, who did precisely that. Saturday winner Ohta, who pitted on lap one, was on target to be third after selecting up a five-second penalty for illegally passing fellow early stopper Iwasa on the chicane. However a late security automotive, triggered by rookie Zak O’Sullivan coming to grief, bunched up the pack and meant Ohta plummeted to twelfth as soon as his penalty was utilized, regardless of ending second on the highway.

When all was stated and performed, there was nonetheless loads of strategic selection on supply and, whereas Ohta’s penalty took the sting out of the lead battle, there have been no scarcity of overtakes occurring up and down the sector as the opposite late stoppers made up time on recent rubber.

In different phrases, it was the identical outdated Tremendous Method that we all know and love, and JRP can definitely really feel a way of aid that the paddock’s worst fears proved unfounded.

The established prime groups may even draw consolation from the truth that the brand new tyres didn’t herald a serious reshuffle within the acquainted pecking order. Solely three groups have gained races because the starting of the SF23 period, Mugen, TOM’S and Dandelion and, on the proof of Suzuka, that exact state of affairs isn’t going to vary any time quickly.

Regardless of falling brief but once more of a primary Tremendous Method win, it’s Iwasa who holds the early championship lead forward of Tsuboi – who obtained his title defence off to a robust begin round what will not be often observe for Toyota – Ohta, Makino and Nojiri, who began on pole in each races however ended up ending seventh and fourth.

The battle strains are effectively and actually drawn, and it appears to be like like we could possibly be in for a monumental five-way scrap for the title in Tremendous Method’s longest-ever season.

Iwasa leaves the Tremendous Method opening spherical with a seven-point lead over Tsuboi

Picture by: Masahide Kamio