Positive Opening Race with Points Earned in the Team's First Race!

To compete in the prestigious and immensely popular All-Japan Super Formula Championship, "Navikuru Buzz MK RACING" has made its debut. Partnering with MK Company, led by Masahiko Kondo, and welcoming the car purchasing comparison site 'Navikuru' as the main sponsor, Buzz Racing's new challenge begins. With the philosophy of 'providing opportunities for domestic and international drivers, producing drivers who can compete globally, and enhancing the international recognition of this SF alongside other teams,' we welcome Roman Staněk, an experienced driver in overseas races such as FIA F2, to take on the opening round. Our goal is to break into Q2 and aim for a top 10 finish to secure more points.

This season marks a new challenge, and although the official test held at Suzuka Circuit on February 25-26 showcased our car, we faced unfortunate weather conditions that limited our dry running time and data ahead of the opening race. The Super Formula series often consists of two races per event, starting with free practice on Friday of race week. April 3 was clear from the morning, with strong sunlight continuing into the afternoon, allowing for dry conditions in both morning and afternoon sessions. The team, including Staněk, took advantage of the opportunity to gather data in dry conditions, completing 27 laps in the morning and 25 laps in the afternoon.

In the morning, Staněk set a personal best time of 1:31.561, but with the team's support and guidance from driving advisor Iori Kimura, he improved his time to 1:31.023 in the final attack of the afternoon, successfully narrowing the gap to the leaders. Staněk expressed, "I was quite anxious after the results at the Suzuka test, but as we entered race week, the team and members worked diligently, and I am very satisfied with the car's setup and performance. I am truly grateful to the team." Inspired by Staněk's driving and dedication, the morale of everyone at "Navikuru Buzz MK RACING" rose, and preparations were meticulously advanced to ensure they could approach the first race the next day in optimal condition.

In stark contrast to the clear skies of Friday, the morning of April 4 was overcast with clouds, and the official qualifying for the first race began in slightly chilly dry conditions with a temperature of 13 degrees and a track temperature of 13 degrees. Staněk, making his debut in Super Formula qualifying, started from Group B in Q1. There was a moment of concern when his engine stalled upon exiting the pits at the start of the session, causing a slight delay in his scheduled track time, but he quickly refocused and prepared to attack.

After carefully warming up his tires, he executed an impressive attack, clocking a time of 1:30.474, significantly better than his previous best from the first day, placing him provisional second, just 0.356 seconds off the leader. Although his rivals improved their times, Staněk advanced to Q2 in fourth place. In Q2, he maximized his confidence in managing brake balance, warming up his tires effectively before entering the attack. With his high skill level and the car's potential, a top grid position was within reach.

During his attack lap, he set a new personal best of 1:30.263. However, due to significant time improvements from his rivals, he finished in tenth place. Fortunately, one of the top drivers was disqualified after post-qualifying checks, allowing Staněk to move up to ninth on the grid. He remarked, "Considering my driving and the car's performance, I believe I could have achieved a better result. But ultimately, I am satisfied with the outcome." Despite starting from tenth, he showed clear growth, finishing just 0.416 seconds behind the leader, and advancing to Q2 in his first qualifying session was a significant positive for both the team and Staněk. They prepared to aim for an even higher finish in the race.

After completing the official qualifying, rain began to fall heavily before noon, worsening the weather conditions. The race was scheduled to start at 14:45 as planned, despite the ongoing rain. Under the lead of the Safety Car (SC), the cars left the grid, but due to the heavy downpour creating significant spray, the race was red-flagged after three laps, resulting in a one-hour interruption. The race resumed at 15:55 when the rain eased slightly, but the track remained wet, leading to about 30 minutes of SC running. With uncertainty about when the race would resume, the drivers conducted warm-up laps, swerving their cars side to side.

When there were 36 minutes remaining in the race, the SC left the track, and the race resumed, allowing Shō Tsuboi (VANTELIN TEAM TOM'S) to take the lead. Staněk, who felt "very confident about the car's performance even in the rain," was expected to battle in the remaining laps, but multiple SC deployments led to a maximum extension of the race time, resulting in a final position of tenth. Although the majority of the race was under SC conditions, finishing in the top 10 in his debut race and earning 0.5 points was a significant achievement for the team.

Staněk struggled to maintain tire temperature due to the frequent SC interventions, which raised concerns about his physical condition, but he managed to complete the race. "It was a challenging condition, but I felt I had the potential to maintain my position even under normal racing conditions. I think it's great that we were able to earn points as a result," he said with a bright expression after recovering. The entire "Navikuru Buzz MK RACING" team, including the drivers, was motivated by the points earned and focused on the next day's race.

The rain from the previous day continued until dawn, leaving the track in wet conditions. However, with the running of the supporting races and the influence of sunlight, the track began to dry. Qualifying started under damp conditions with some wet patches remaining. Staněk, who started from Group A in the official qualifying at a temperature of 20 degrees and a track temperature of 31 degrees, was fired up to secure a better grid position than in the first race, having felt the high performance of the car the day before.

However, during his attack lap, an aggressive approach led to a regrettable mistake, preventing him from improving his time as he had hoped. He clocked a time of 1:32.132, falling short of his personal best and finishing in tenth place, missing out on advancing to Q1 for the second consecutive race. Nevertheless, he remained positive, stating, "The car was very good today, but I am really frustrated that my attack didn't go well. However, the car is easy to drive, so I am satisfied." Starting from 20th place, he approached the final race of the event with confidence in his ability to make up positions.

As the afternoon progressed, thick clouds covered the sky, but the race started under dry conditions. After a formation lap, the cars returned to the grid, and with the signal blackout, the second race commenced. Staněk showed excellent reaction at the start, stating, "I had a really good start towards Turn 1." However, he made slight contact with another car during braking into the first corner, causing him to overrun and drop to the back of the field. He quickly returned to the track, but upon hearing Staněk's radio call about damage to the front wing, the team immediately prepared for a pit stop to replace the front wing and sent him back out.

Returning to the track in 23rd place, the race was interrupted by a SC on the second lap when one car went off track and stopped in the gravel. This allowed Staněk to catch up to the back of the pack. When the race resumed on lap 7, he made a good reaction and elegantly overtook a car at Turn 1, moving up to 21st place. Although he allowed one car to overtake him, he stayed close and continued to complete laps, but Staněk, feeling the good race pace, found himself blocked by slower cars ahead, making it difficult to improve his pace and position. As one-third of the race passed, rivals began to pit for tire changes, and Staněk completed his pit work on lap 24, returning to the track in 20th place.

Utilizing his strong tire warm-up ability and fresh tires, he drove aggressively and managed to improve his position to 17th place with a stable race pace. However, overtaking at Motegi is known to be challenging, and he was unable to gain further positions in the final stages, ultimately finishing in 17th place. Although he did not earn points for the second consecutive race, he completed the race and brought back valuable data for the team. Additionally, he noted, "I had the pace to aim for a higher position," leaving a positive outlook for the future. While the first race was challenging due to rain and SC interventions, the second race allowed for a clean race in dry conditions, resulting in a fruitful outing for both "Navikuru Buzz MK RACING" and Staněk, marking a strong start to the season. The team vowed to continue their preparations for the next round at Autopolis, aiming for results equal to or better than those at Motegi.