Lawson’s Super Formula title chances plummet

The double finals of the Japanese Super Formula series are underway at the Suzuka Circuit this weekend, and the first day of the weekend was marred by a serious accident that left Saturday’s race at just over three of the scheduled 31 laps .

This situation also affected Liam Lawson’s chances of winning the title; before the season finale he was in second place in the individual rankings, and has now fallen to third place.

On the fourth lap, two Japanese pilots, competing for 17th position, collided in the high-speed corner 130R, both cars flew off the track at full speed and crashed into the barriers on the right.

Naturally, the cars were very badly damaged and, judging by reports from Suzuki, the participants in the incident were able to get out of the cockpits under their own power, but Ukiyo Sasahara was taken to the circuit’s medical center.

However, the track fences were so seriously damaged that their repair took a lot of time, so it was decided not to continue the race. Since the competitors could only complete three full laps, only half of the points were awarded.

Tomoki Noiri was declared the winner and his points were enough to move him into second place in the individual rankings, ahead of Liam Lawson. Championship leader Ritomo Miata was classified second.

Lawson was in 5th place at the time the race was stopped, but he was ahead of one of his rivals at the start of the 4th lap and the standings were determined at the end of the third, leaving him in 6th place . the final protocol.

Tomorrow marks the final race of the season at Suzuka and the Miata leads the drivers’ standings 6.5 points ahead of Noiri, while Lawson sits in third place, 15 points behind. The chance that he can stay ahead of both rivals at the end of the weekend is formally different from zero, but the chance of that is extremely small.