Studie BMW beats Toyota GT300s at their own strategy game

The Michelin-shod BMW shared by Seiji Ara and Masataka Yanagida held on against the Bridgestone-equipped Inging Toyota GR86 and Saitama Toyopet Toyota GR Supra, having used a strategy gambit that was previously the preserve of the lighter, so-called 'JAF' cars.

In the previous race at Fuji, both the Inging and Saitama Toyopet squads chose to complete their first of two mandatory refuelling stops in the first two laps, and then essentially split the remainder of the 450km distance in half, although they were both beaten by the Kondo Racing Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 on a more conventional strategy in a race with no caution periods.

At Suzuka, the appearance of an early safety car period (to retrieve the stricken Team UpGarage Honda) put both Toyota outfits in the ideal position to benefit from a similar play. Only this time, the Studie BMW squad also unexpectedly chose to pit at the end of the first lap.

That meant that the BMW of Ara was circulating in close formation behind the two Toyotas for most of the race, with Kohta Kawaai in the Saitama Toyopet car leading the Inging machine of Hibiki Taira.

The trio cycled through to the class lead as the other cars made their first stops, until it was time for Kawaai - who by now had conceded the advantage to Taira - and Ara to both come in on lap 36.

A slower stop for the Saitama Toyopet car put the BMW, now in the hands of Yanagida, ahead, and after Taira pitted to hand over the Inging Toyota to Yuui Tsutsumi on lap 38, Yanagida was able to pounce with his up-to-temperature tyres and take the lead at Degner on Tsutsumi's out lap.

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With the race being red-flagged and not resumed after the horror crash at 130R involving Nissan GT500 driver Tsugio Matsuda, Ara and Yanagida were victorious, repeating Studie's win at Suzuka a year ago with Ara and Tsubasa Kondo.

"We got our first stop out of the way early, and the following stop, where I took over from Ara, was quick," Yanagida reflected. "It seemed the #52 [Saitama Toyopet] car made a mistake during its stop and we were able to get ahead.

"Then the #2 [Inging] car was having trouble with its tyre warm-up, and thanks to the quick warm-up of the Michelin tyre, I was able to get ahead.

"After that, I was worried about being repassed by either the #2 or the #52, but the straight line speed of the BMW was strong, so it was a situation where I just had to hang on in the corners and we were able to keep first place."

Ara added: "In GT300 it has become a situation where the drivers that adopt the strategy of pitting in early in the race gain an advantage, but this strategy would not have been possible without the performance of the BMW M4 GT3 and Michelin tyres, so I’m grateful to the team."

 

Inging made the decision to come in for its first stop on lap two despite having qualified fourth, some 16 places ahead of the Saitama Toyopet car that started in 20th after a costly spin for Kawaai in Q1.

But the team was left to contemplate what might have been had Taira come in at the end of the first lap along with Kawaai and Ara.

"We thought that pitting on the first lap would be difficult for fuel consumption, so we came in on the second lap," he said. "As a result, the #52 car got ahead."

Tsutsumi added: "Looking at the results, it would have been ok [to pit on the first lap], and in that case I think we would have been ahead and able to go at our own pace, and then we would haven’t been passed by the #7 [Studie] car."

Taira was finally able to repass Kawaai for the net lead when both cars were holed up behind the slower Tsuchiya Engineering GR Supra, which was running a conventional strategy, but the time lost proved costly in the end.

"If I had passed earlier and handed over to Tsutsumi, then I think we wouldn’t have been passed by the #7 car, so I really regret that," Taira said.

Kawaai, who shares the Saitama Toyopet car with Hiroki Yoshida, called it "frustrating to lose to a team with the same strategy and package as ours" after finishing behind the Inging Toyota for a second race in a row.

However, Yoshida took a more measured view, saying the red flag probably saved the team from dropping positions late on.

"The tyres were tough in the second half of the race," he said. "If we had restarted, we had 17 laps left, I think we would have been overtaken by cars like the #56 [Kondo Nissan] which changed tyres twice.

"The strategy worked this time, but for the future we need to think about how we can compete by using a strategy of dividing the race into equal segments."

 

Both the Inging and Saitama Toyopet teams may find pulling off the same strategy again next time out at Fuji proves a challenge as the success weight ramps up, with Taira and Tsutsumi set to carry an 90kg of ballast and Kawaai and Yoshida poised to have an extra 84kg.

Ara and Yanagida will meanwhile carry an additional 75kg in what will be their final race as a duo before Bruno Spengler returns to the cockpit of the Studie car for the fifth round at Suzuka.

"There is a long break until the next race, but there are some points that I need to work on personally, so I want to prepare well together with the team," said Yanagida. "The next race will probably be my last of the year, so I want to enjoy it and fight with Ara for the podium again."