Testing report
Super GT Fuji March testing
Lexus holds 1-2-3 as Super GT testing ends
Lexus locked out the top three positions on the final day of Super GT pre-season testing at Japan’s Fuji Speedway.
Rachit Thukral
Edited: Mar 25, 2018, 4:51 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Nissan set the early pace on Sunday morning, before Yuji Kunimoto rose atop the timesheets with a 1m28.887s flyer on board the #19 Bandoh Lexus that he shares with Kenta Yamashita.
That time would remain unbeaten after two hours of further running in the afternoon, but it was almost eight tenths down on what Mitsunori Takaboshi managed in the #24 Kondo Racing Nissan on Saturday.
Kazuya Oshima, who was the only one driving the #19 Team LeMans Lexus due to Felix Rosenqvist’s clashing Formula E commitments, was Kunimoto’s closest challenger in second, 0.373s behind the 2016 Super Formula champion.
Defending champions Nick Cassidy and Ryo Hirakawa finished less than a tenth adrift in third, with the Kiwi the faster of the #1 TOM’S drivers.
Jann Mardenborough was one of the few drivers who went quicker in the afternoon, setting a time of 1m29.409s to put his and Daiki Sasaki’s #12 Nissan in fourth position and the highest of the non-Lexus runners.
Joao Paulo de Oliveira and Takaboshi were not far behind in the sister #24 Nissan, although the Brazilian was the quickest of the two this time around.
Super GT returnee James Rossiter placed the #36 TOM’S Lexus in sixth position with a time of 1m29.575s, significantly quicker than his more experienced teammates Kazuki Nakajima and Yuhi Sekiguchi managed in the same car.
Ronnie Quintarelli and Tsugio Matsuda were seventh in the #23 NISMO Nissan, only 0.011s clear of the best of the Hondas, the #100 machine of Team Kunimitsu.
Naoki Yamamoto set the fastest time for Kunimitsu, as Formula 1 2009 champion Jenson Button focused more on long runs ahead of the opening race next month.
The top 10 was completed by the #3 B-Max Nissan of Satoshi Motoyama and Katsumasa Chiyo, and the #16 Mugen Honda of Hideki Mutoh and Daisuke Nakajima.
The entire 15-strong GT500 field was covered by 1.5 seconds, with Honda occupying the bottom three positions as only two of their five NSX-GTs made it inside the top 10.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Nissan tops opening Fuji Super GT test day by 0.018s
Next article Lexus now behind Nissan and Honda, fears Cassidy
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Rachit Thukral
Raul Fernandez still compromised after Indonesia finger injury: “I’m not at 100%”
MotoGP
MotoGP
Australian GP
13 h
Raul Fernandez still compromised after Indonesia finger injury: “I’m not at 100%”
Dan Ticktum secures Formula E Gen4 berth with newly-acquired Fortescue Zero team
Formula E
Formula E 16 h
Dan Ticktum secures Formula E Gen4 berth with newly-acquired Fortescue Zero team
Latest news
Max Verstappen slams “unacceptable” bumps at Austin F1 track: “It's out of control”
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
3 h
Max Verstappen slams “unacceptable” bumps at Austin F1 track: “It's out of control”
Kimi Antonelli ready to "finish the job" as first F1 title chance beckons at US GP
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
4 h
Kimi Antonelli ready to "finish the job" as first F1 title chance beckons at US GP
How to watch NASCAR at Talladega II: Weekend schedule, start time, entry list, TV
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
4 h
How to watch NASCAR at Talladega II: Weekend schedule, start time, entry list, TV
Peterson Racing addresses online abuse after parting ways with Austin Green
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Talladega II
4 h
Peterson Racing addresses online abuse after parting ways with Austin Green
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe