Driver growth was evident at the Suzuka event. Achieving the best result with a 'gamble' tire strategy.

Similar to the opening round, the Suzuka event was set up as a two-race format. The Suzuka Circuit had rain forecasted throughout the weekend, and on the 21st (Thu), the day of transport, intermittent light rain fell, continuing into the morning of the 22nd (Fri). However, both morning and afternoon free practice sessions for Super Formula were conducted in dry conditions. With temperatures at 26 degrees and track temperatures at 41 degrees, the sessions began with a tailwind on the home straight. Although the team had prior experience from a two-day test conducted at the end of February before the season opener, the conditions were different this time due to the late May timing. Therefore, the morning session was utilized for Stanek to familiarize himself with the car, starting with a long run, followed by various trials and adjustments to the setup.

As the running commenced, challenges emerged, notably 'the rear was unstable with little brake bite.' Consequently, the session prioritized optimizing the setup for race week rather than focusing on immediate lap times, opting not to use new tires. The focus was on improving vehicle balance. As a result, Stanek finished the morning session in 16th place with a time of 1:38.775, but received positive feedback indicating clear progress in the right direction.

The afternoon session started under conditions of 25 degrees and a track temperature of 38 degrees, and for the first time that weekend, new tires were introduced for an attack simulation towards the end. Stanek recorded the overall best time in Sector 1. The car's feeling was also showing improvement, leading to expectations of advancing to the top positions. However, while entering Degner Curve with momentum, he hit the curb too hard, disrupting the car's behavior and making contact with the crash barrier. This resulted in a red flag interruption. Fortunately, the driver was unharmed and exited the car unaided, but the vehicle sustained front-end damage, preventing participation in the crucial OF simulation during the following grouping session. As a result, we entered the fourth round without sufficient data collection from new tires, following the previous round.

After the first day of running, the fourth round event day arrived. The damage from the previous day's crash was significant, but the mechanics worked tirelessly into the night to repair the car. Despite facing a major incident since the team's inception, everyone pooled their efforts to send the car safely onto the track.

On the 23rd (Sat), the weather was cloudy with occasional light rain, creating a challenging environment for qualifying with temperatures at 20 degrees and track temperatures at 22 degrees, significantly lower than the previous day. In qualifying, many vehicles typically exchange for new tires after an initial attack lap, but we altered our strategy. We opted to install new tires from the start of the session and delayed our entry onto the track to avoid congestion. As planned, we transitioned into the attack with a clear lap.

Carefully warming the tires, Stanek entered a full attack lap on the fourth lap, recording the overall best time in Sector 2, demonstrating high potential. However, a slight disturbance in Spoon Curve prevented him from extending his time in the latter sections, ultimately finishing with a time of 1:39.194, placing him 11th and just missing out on advancing to Q2. In Super Formula qualifying, precision is required to perfectly execute a 'one-shot' lap on new tires. Given our recent experiences with spins and crashes during new tire runs, this qualifying session served as a stark reminder of the challenges we face.

Stanek reflected, 'Thanks to the mechanics, the car was beautifully repaired and in good running condition, but not performing well in qualifying is a result of my inability to push hard enough, which is very frustrating.' While challenges were highlighted, the team quickly turned its focus to the upcoming fourth round race, aiming to gain as many positions as possible.

After qualifying, a pit walk took place, with many fans lining up for Stanek's autograph as the race began. Additionally, our main sponsor, the car assessment and purchasing site Navikuru's official character 'Navikurumi' also made an appearance, engaging with many attendees, especially children, bringing smiles and energy to the paddock. Approximately two hours later, the time for the fourth round race finally arrived. Before the start, a sea breeze from Ise Bay flowed in, with conditions at 20 degrees and track temperatures at 24 degrees. The sky was covered with thick clouds, creating a tense atmosphere where weather changes seemed imminent.

Starting from 21st place, Stanek showcased an excellent launch. Based on advice from driving advisor Iori Kimura, he paid close attention to positioning in the S-curve right after the start, jumping up to 17th place within the opening lap. However, he then struggled with machine balance and race pace. Losing a position on the following lap on the home straight, a series of small mistakes caused him to drop back to 23rd place.

To change the momentum, he decided to make an early gamble, pitting on the 8th lap when tire changes became mandatory. After switching to fresh tires, he aimed for an undercut. Shortly after, the weather at Suzuka changed dramatically, with raindrops beginning to fall, and by 15:05, a wet race declaration was issued. The race entered its 11th lap, but as laps progressed, the rain intensified, and water lines began to appear on the track. This led to a spin and crash for one car on lap 19, prompting the introduction of the safety car (SC), which caused teams that had not completed their pit work to flood into the pits, significantly altering the race dynamics.

Restarting from lap 23, Stanek assessed the track conditions and, anticipating worsening weather, pitted again to switch to rain tires. This strategy was a gamble, returning to the track from the back of the field. As he monitored the situation, another car crashed, leading to a second SC deployment, prompting many cars to rush into the pits to switch from slicks to rain tires. As a result, Stanek emerged at the front of the 'rain tire exchange group.' Tension filled the pit as the thought, 'If the rain increases, a podium or even a win could be within reach,' began to feel tangible.

As the race continued under SC control, our hopes for stronger rain were dashed as the rain gradually weakened with each lap. When the race resumed with four laps remaining, the slick tire runners quickly picked up the pace, and the flow that had leaned towards rain tires began to shift back in a challenging direction. Nevertheless, Stanek persevered, finishing in 8th place, the highest for the team since its inception. He expressed, 'At the timing of the SC, the track began to get wet, and starting from the back, we had little to lose, so I told the team I wanted to switch to rain tires. In the end, I think it was a good decision. It's a shame that if it had rained more, we might have been in the podium fight, but I'm still happy because we did our best.'

Additionally, advisor Kimura commented, 'With the aerodynamic characteristics of Super Formula, I taught him how to position himself for overtakes, mainly focusing on the S-curve maneuvers. I'm glad my experience was helpful. However, the use of the overtake system is still a challenge for Stanek, so I plan to communicate more detailed improvement methods moving forward.' While challenges remain, this result marked a significant step forward for us and greatly boosted the morale of the entire team.

Following the tumultuous race, strong rain continued from evening into the night at Suzuka Circuit. On the 24th (Sun), the day of the fifth round, dark clouds covered the sky, but warm air enveloped the area from the morning, resulting in dry conditions with temperatures at 24 degrees and track temperatures at 33 degrees. Stanek, competing in qualifying Q1A, fitted new tires on the front and exchanged the rear two tires to prepare for the attack, aiming to avoid congestion while entering early as before. On the fourth lap, Stanek marked a time of 1:38.578, briefly taking the provisional top spot. Although he managed to put together a solid lap without major mistakes, he struggled to improve his time in each sector, ultimately finishing 9th and missing out on advancing to Q2.

The team felt confident about advancing to Q2, making the result disappointing. Director Hasegawa reflected, 'We made changes to the setup, and the vehicle balance improved overall, but we struggled with grip and did not achieve the times we expected. While there are challenges for Stanek, we also failed to provide a car that could be pushed to its limits as a team.' While we continued to face challenges in qualifying, the final race of the weekend still remained. The team thoroughly reviewed data and prepared meticulously in both setup and strategy for the fifth round.

On this day, with 33,000 fans in attendance, the pit walk saw even more fans than the previous day lining up for Stanek's autographs and photos. Additionally, many stakeholders, including our main sponsor Navikuru and Ateam Holdings, visited the pit, reminding the team of the significant expectations and support we have. With this motivation, we approached the final race. Starting from 18th place, Stanek made a strong start, overtaking one car on the opening lap. Shortly after, a safety car (SC) was deployed, leading to a chaotic start, but after the restart, the race progressed cleanly without major incidents.

During the race, Stanek actively utilized the OTS (Overtake System) that had been a challenge in the fourth round, engaging in fierce position battles with Takumi Koide (ThreeBond Racing). When Koide pitted first, Stanek opted to stay out on track, pitting two laps later on lap 25. Although he couldn't get ahead at that moment, he quickly closed in, resulting in a tense tail-to-nose battle. Utilizing the advantage of fresh tires, Stanek continued to apply pressure and, with two laps remaining, successfully executed a decisive overtake. Stanek couldn't help but celebrate in the cockpit. This moment marked the culmination of the challenges and improvements the team had built up over the weekend.

He continued to chip away at the gap to the cars ahead, narrowing it to 2.5 seconds, but ultimately fell just short, finishing 15th. Unfortunately, we couldn't secure points for the second consecutive race, but we finally showcased a race that was 'very Super Formula-like' and 'very Stanek-like,' allowing both the team and driver to feel significant growth in the use of OTS and during race battles. Stanek expressed, 'It was a very fun and interesting race!' He seems to feel his growth, and we look forward to his development in the latter half of the season.

By accumulating a wealth of driving data under varying conditions throughout the weekend, we gained clear hints for machine setup direction, making the Suzuka event extremely fruitful for the team. The next race will return to Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture, with the Fuji event scheduled for July 17-19. The postponed final from the third round at Autopolis will also be incorporated into the morning of the 19th, leading to a busy race week with three races. A significant key to this battle will be the official test conducted at Fuji Speedway on June 30 - July 1. This will be an extremely important opportunity that could influence the remainder of the season. We are determined to connect the experiences and challenges gained at Suzuka to the next steps, continuing to collect data and develop the car to achieve further results.