Japanese F4: Onaga scores season-best starting position at Sugo

OTG Motor Sports' Miki Onaga achieved her best starting position of the season by starting 9th in race three at Sugo as the grid was set by race one's fastest laps. Also in the field, Bionic Jack Racing's Ai Miura had a difficult weekend but stayed out of trouble in all three races to take a weekend-best result of 20th.

Ph: OTG Motorsports

In the fourth round of the Japanese F4 season at Sportsland Sugo, Kyojo Cup regular Miki Onaga took her best starting position of ninth in race three of the weekend on her first time at the track, while Ai Miura continued her consistent trouble-free form.

Race 1

The Toyota duo of Tokiya Suzuki and Takahiro Kikuchi locked out the front row for race one, while Onaga qualified 21st, three places ahead of Miura.

After the race was started behind the safety car, Suzuki led the field at the start on lap three, while Kikuchi went wide at the first corner and dropped to fifth trying to defend second from Itsuki Sato. Behind them, Ryuma Sako fell from ninth to 11th after running wide at the Horseback Corner and was passed by Syo Momose on the following lap as he dropped to 12th.

Having inherited second place early on, Sato began hunting down Suzuki for the lead and was on his tail until the safety car was deployed on lap 14 due to Kaoru Yoshida's crash at Turn 10. The race however, wasn't resumed and it ended with Suzuki winning the opening race of the weekend ahead of Sato and Kenta Kumagai.

Miki Onaga ended the race in 20th place, after spending most of it just outside of the top 20, whereas Miura dropped to 26th by the end, having ran close to Onaga all race.

Race 2

Suzuki and Kikuchi once again locked out the front row for race two, this time as Onaga qualified 19th, while Miura once again qualified 24th.

Following another start behind the safety car, Suzuki pulled away from Kikuchi once the race got underway, while Kumagai held off Kotaro Shimbara for sixth in the early stages. Behind them Onaga was passed by Rikuto Toyoshima and fell out of the top 20, before running wide at Turn 4 while battling with Haruto Nakai, dropping further down the order.

On lap six, Kikuchi and Sato collided at Turn 1 while battling for second, sending the former into a spin, while Sato moved up into second. Three laps later, Nakai lost his front wing after contact with Fuki Tanaka in the esses and dropped down the order, promoting Miura up to 20th with less than half of the race remaining.

Up ahead, Suzuki held off a hard-charging Sato to take his second win of the weekend, as Ryo Shirasaki joined them on the podium. Miura held on to 20th, while Onaga recovered to 23rd.

Race 3

For the final race of the weekend, race one's fastest laps were used to establish the grid, meaning Sato started on pole while Suzuki completed the front row, as Onaga achieved her highest starting position of the season in ninth, while Miura started in 29th.

Sato kept the lead following another safety car-led start, as Suzuki followed in behind but was unable to attack the Kageyama Racing car as the latter pulled away in the early stages.

On lap 10, Onaga's run in ninth-place came to an end after contact with Ryota Horachi, which sent both drivers spinning at the Horseback Corner and subsequently retired from the race, forcing the safety car to be deployed with a handful of laps left.

Four laps later, the race resumed with Sato pulling a gap over Suzuki while "Kentaro" collided with "Dragon" before into the esses and crashed into the barriers.

However, the race was not neutralized and Sato held on to win ahead of Suzuki and Shirasaki, whilst Miura closed out the weekend with a 25th-place finish in what was a tough return to a track she last raced in three years ago.