Rio Shimono achieves 3 top ten results at Formula Regional Japanese season opener
- MIKA BÖCKER
- 5 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Rio Shimono delivered solid runs on her Formula Regional Japan debut, crossing the line in eighth place twice before improving further with a seventh-place finish in the third race of the weekend at Suzuka.
Rio Shimono delivered solid runs on her Formula Regional Japan debut, crossing the line in eighth place twice before improving further with a seventh-place finish in the third race of the weekend at Suzuka.
Following her impressive performances in last year’s Kyojo Cup, Shimono has confidently transitioned to the Formula Regional Japanese Championship this season with Dr. Dry Racing Team's F111. Her qualifying results highlighted a clear progression, securing midfield starting positions for the first two races and an impressive second-row grid slot for the final race, affirming her decision to step up to this level of competition.
Shimono started the first race from seventh place on the 16-car grid. She made a strong launch and briefly closed in on the cars ahead but was unable to capitalize through the twisty opening sector. Remaining seventh, she stayed close to the driver ahead while the early laps were marked by several small mistakes across the field, with multiple drivers forced to use the escape road at the final chicane. Unfortunately for Shimono, none lost enough time to drop behind her.
After the opening phase, the field began to settle into a rhythm and lap times stabilized, causing the gaps between cars to increase. Shimono could no longer match the pace of the driver ahead and instead had to focus on defending from Xuanyu behind. She managed to hold position until four laps from the finish, when a small mistake allowed her rival through. Shimono nevertheless ultimately finished Race 1 in eighth place.
The second race saw Shimono start eighth on the grid. She made an aggressive start and briefly attempted to advance within the tightly packed field, but her momentum was halted at Turn 2 when she ran out of space; forced into heavy braking, she became vulnerable to an overtake around the outside and dropped to ninth.
Mid-race, Akamatsu’s retirement promoted Shimono back into eighth position. However, she found herself stuck within a tightly grouped train of cars on the flowing circuit where overtaking proved extremely difficult. Battles at the front intensified as competitors fought for position, while Shimono remained locked in a duel with Akita, whose defensive driving limited her opportunities.
A tense moment unfolded on lap five when a driver nearly lost control at 130R, narrowly avoiding a major collision before recovering the car. Shimono maintained pressure but was unable to find a way through, ultimately finishing four seconds behind Akita in eighth place.
The final race offered strong prospects, with Shimono lining up third on the grid. At the start, however, the second-place car stalled. Rather than inheriting second position, Shimono was overtaken by another Ponos Racing entry that made a perfect launch. She however held third through the opening lap but lost a position approaching Turn 1 on lap two after being forced to defend through 130R and the chicane, costing her momentum onto the straight.
A similar sequence unfolded on the following lap, dropping her to fifth place as she struggled to match the pace of the more experienced drivers ahead. From lap four onward, the race stabilized, and Shimono focused on defense against Komatsu. The battle lasted several laps until Muto joined the fight with five laps remaining. Entering Turn 1 three-wide, Shimono lost position to Komatsu, and at Spoon Corner Muto moved to the inside, forcing her wide and costing her another place.
Both rivals pulled away, but Shimono maintained consistent pace to secure seventh place at the checkered flag, improving on her personal best of the weekend.
With three top-ten finishes and a promising second-row start, Rio Shimono’s debut weekend exceeded expectations. The upcoming round at Suzuka at the end of May presents another opportunity for continued progress as she looks to build on the positive momentum from the season opener.
